The Packers have never appeared on the NFL’s “Hard Knocks,” the documentary-style show following teams through training camp (and, recently, in-season) via rare, behind-the-scenes access.
That could be changing thanks to new rules from the NFL expanding the pool of potential teams that could be covered on the show.
Previously, teams that had made the playoffs at least once in the previous two seasons were not eligible for the show, but according to Albert Breer, that stipulation has been eliminated under new, “liberalized” rules for “Hard Knocks.”
That means the Packers, who play things pretty close to the vest in training camp, could be a target for the 2025 edition of the show. Breer reported the league hopes to nail down the participants for the training camp and in-season versions of the show by May.
While the Packers (or, for that matter, any team that participates) may not like it, it’d be hard to spin a Packers appearance on the show as anything but a huge win for fans. There is no shortage of storylines surrounding the Packers heading into the 2025 season. Jordan Love is entering his third year as a starter looking to rebound from a disappointing 2024 season, while established stars like Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs will attempt to follow up on their promising debuts in Green Bay.
There will also be position battles galore as players jockey for position at key spots on the roster, notably on the offensive line and in the secondary. Add in a couple of rookies taken in this year’s draft (to be held, you may have heard, in Green Bay) and you’ve got the makings of a very interesting training camp.
And of course, there’s also the chance that the entire NFC North ends up on the in-season version of the show. Compelling though the Packers may be, the entire NFC North looks to be a bloodbath again this year. Maybe the league goes that route instead?
In any case, the window is now open for the Packers to go where they’ve never gone before: onto your TV screen on a day other than gameday.