Every year since 2001, an NFL team has been featured on the HBO series “Hard Knocks,” a reality sports docuseries that gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at life in the NFL.
The show typically follows a team throughout training camp and the preseason, although there are now offseason and in-season editions as well.
Has a “Hard Knocks” team ever gone on to win the Super Bowl that season?
Has a Hard Knocks Team Ever Won the Super Bowl?
Produced by HBO and NFL Films, the series depicts the personal and professional lives of everyone involved in an NFL team. The show includes family life, position battles, rookie talent shows, and everything else that happens behind the scenes in an NFL franchise.
In 2024, there will be three different editions of “Hard Knocks” — an offseason edition following the New York Giants, a training camp edition following the Chicago Bears, and an in-season edition following the AFC North (which consists of the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cleveland Browns).
The show was created by Marty Callner in 2001, and it is narrated by Liev Schreiber (aside from the 2007 iteration that featured Kansas City Chiefs fan Paul Rudd narrating the Chiefs’ appearance).
Each year, it can be difficult to find a team that’s willing to participate. In 2013, the NFL announced that if a team did not volunteer to be featured, the league could force a team to participate. That was the case with the New York Jets in 2023.
“I know there’s several teams that would love for ‘Hard Knocks’ to be in their building; we’re just not one of them,” said Jets head coach Robert Saleh.
“They forced it down our throats, and we have to deal with it,” Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers added via KPIX. “I understand the appeal with us. Obviously, there are a lot of eyes on me, a lot of eyes on our team, a lot of expectations for our squad.”
If a team has made the playoffs in the previous two seasons, has a first-year coach, or has been featured on the show in the past decade, the NFL cannot select them.
Not every team hates the “Hard Knocks” experience. The Bears are excited to be featured on the show in 2024.
“I believe that NFL Films, HBO does an outstanding job about getting the message out about the team,” Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said. “[There’s] excitement. I think they were excited about it. We’ve got a good thing going here.”
The teams that have appeared on “Hard Knocks” since its inception include the Jets, Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, and Arizona Cardinals.
None of the teams that appeared on “Hard Knocks” have gone on to win the Super Bowl in the same season. In fact, no team has even made it to the Super Bowl.
However, eight of the 18 teams featured have made the postseason: the 2001 Ravens, 2009 Bengals, 2010 Jets, 2013 Bengals, 2015 Texans, 2020 Rams, 2021 Cowboys, and 2023 Dolphins.
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The 2021 Cowboys won the most regular-season games after appearing on “Hard Knocks,” as they went 12-5. However, they fell to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card Round.
The “Hard Knocks” team that advanced the deepest in the postseason was the 2010 Jets, as they made it to the AFC Championship Game. New York ultimately lost to the Steelers, 24-19.
Now, with so many different versions of the show, perhaps we’ll see a “Hard Knocks” team hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy sooner than later.
