Bears Have No Interest in Appearing on ‘Hard Knocks’

The team’s chairman has no desire for the franchise to be in the popular docuseries.

The Bears are navigating a myriad of changes that include the franchise securing the future location of their new stadium, transitioning new president Kevin Warren into the fold as well as Chicago deciding what it will do after trading away its No. 1 pick in the next month’s NFL draft.

However, one thing that is not on the Bears’ to-do list is being the team chosen for the new season of HBO’s Hard Knocks. Each preseason, the NFL gets fans excited about the upcoming season with the electrifying docuseries that provides a behind-the-scenes look as one team looking to stabilize its 53-man roster ahead of the new campaign.

When few teams volunteered to have HBO’s crews film and hang around their facilities during the NFL’s preseason, the league mandated eligibility guidelines stating what franchises could be chosen during a specific year. Heading into the ’23 season, the four teams eligible to appear in the popular docuseries are the Bears, Saints, Jets and Commanders.

But Bears chairman George McCaskey made it clear that he has no desire for the franchise to take part in the show.

“We feel there are a number of teams that have compelling stories to tell on ‘Hard Knocks,’” McCaskey said, per The Athletic. When asked if the Bears were part of those teams? “Thirty-one others,” he said.

Since 2014, teams have been excused from being part of that year’s Hard Knocks if they have a first-year head coach, made the playoffs in the last two seasons or appeared on the docuseries within the last decade. The new season of HBO’s Hard Knocks is expected to premiere in August.