In my 16 years of covering the Houston Texans, I’ve had four training camps that were significantly remarkable in their own way. The training camps of 2017 and 2018, held at the Greenbriar in West Virginia were unique and a very pleasant hiatus from the sweltering heat of Houston. Training camp in 2020, during the pandemic, was just bizarre, with only ten of us in the local media allowed to attend (along with daily COVID testing!).
Then there was 2015, the year that HBO and NFL Films descended upon the Methodist Training Center and gave us “Hard Knocks,” the 2015 edition of the award-winning HBO series, featuring the Houston Texans in Year 2 of the Bill O’Brien Era. For a team that hadn’t been to the playoffs in a couple seasons, and who had Brian Hoyer as its starting quarterback, that five week burst of relevance and content was fun!
Well, this season, like every other NFL season, a selection will be made soon as to which NFL team will be featured on “Hard Knocks,” unless a team steps forward and volunteers, which is unlikely. So, if an NFL team is approached about being featured on the show, they are allowed to refuse, provided they fit at least ONE of the following criteria:
1. They have a first-year head coach.
2. They have secured a playoff berth in the past two seasons.
3. They have appeared on Hard Knocks within the past 10 years.
Again, a team can volunteer to be on the show, but the show does come with a figurative warning label that no team who has been the subject has ever gone on to win the Super Bowl that season. The Texans, for what it’s worth, are exempt from doing the show on two of the three above criteria — first year head coach and recent participant in the show. The playoffs? Well, that’s still an issue.
Here are the four teams that are eligible to be demanded they do “Hard Knocks,” in order of how compelling each would be:
CHICAGO BEARS
The Bears have a pretty milquetoast head coach in Matt Eberflus, and an ascending third year quarterback in Justin Fields. That’s about it. I’m having a hard time coming up with compelling reasons to watch five weeks worth of content on the Bears, unless they bring back Mike Ditka.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Like the Bears, the Saints, too, could reasonably bring back Ditka as a nostalgia act, but that won’t be necessary. Watching new quarterback Derek Carr and his odd, somewhat phony leadership style with his new teammates would be fun. Also, in five weeks, it would seem like there’s a good chance we get a rookie or two getting into some shenanigans in the French Quarter.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
The Commanders may be going through an ownership change soon, in the aftermath of allegations of a toxic workplace under current owner Daniel Snyder. Now that I think about it, the league would probably want to steer clear of doing anything in depth with this franchise. I would be interested to see new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy cobble together an offense that doesn’t have Patrick Mahomes in it, like the one he coordinated in Kansas City.
NEW YORK JETS
If the Jets complete the Aaron Rodgers trade, this is a no brainer, I have no idea if Rodgers would embrace the attention or bristle from it, but I’m here for either. Also, watching soon to be backup QB Zach Wilson hit on all of the 40 to 50 year old female Jet fans at training camp will be a sight to behold!
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
