For its second season, the offseason edition of “Hard Knocks” is shaking things up by taking a unique route. According to Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports, the upcoming HBO series will not be centered around an NFL team as usual. Instead, it will shift its focus to follow the University of North Carolina football team under the leadership of none other than Bill Belichick in his inaugural season with the program.
UNC’s football general manager, Michael Lombardi, recently made an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” and hinted at the possibility of the program participating in “Hard Knocks.” Lombardi shared, “There are ongoing discussions surrounding this. We have received numerous offers from various parties interested in showcasing our program behind the scenes, but as of yet, nothing has been finalized or officially signed.”
According to Glasspiegel, NFL Films faced challenges in securing an NFL team willing to be featured on the show. The previous season had spotlighted the New York Giants, a move that backfired for the franchise when viewers witnessed the departure of star running back Saquon Barkley to their NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles.
This particular incident seemingly deterred all NFL teams from considering a spot on “Hard Knocks” during the offseason, as highlighted in a humorous post by Yahoo Sports.
In a recent statement at the NFL scouting combine, Giants general manager Joe Schoen indicated that no teams had approached him about their experience on the show. Schoen playfully quipped, “I have a pretty good idea of what I would tell them.”
Bill Belichick’s transition to the Tar Heels came about in December, following his departure from the New England Patriots after an illustrious 24-year tenure. Notably, the Patriots never appeared on “Hard Knocks” during Belichick’s tenure with the team.
