Bear Digest

Hard Knocks at Halas Hall Sure to Stir Plenty of Interest

HBO's behind-the-scenes look at training camp will be at Bears camp despite their past disdain for the show and fans will get an up-close look at the start to Caleb Williams' career.

Gene Chamberlain

The Bears could avoid it no longer and are heading for HBO's behind-the-scenes look at training camp.
The Bears could avoid it no longer and are heading for HBO's behind-the-scenes look at training camp. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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Despite all the posturing by George McCaskey, the Bears are going to be on Hard Knocks.

The behind the scenes look at the Bears training camp will debut Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. on HBO.

The Bears announced they had been selected to participate in the program. The Bears have never been on it and the McCaskeys had been opposed to it.

It seems like a good PR move for a team trying to get public money to build a new domed stadium on the lakefront.

“Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears will provide our passionate fans across the world the ability to experience this unique and critical time in the history of our franchise,” Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren said in a statement issued by the network.

Bears GM Ryan Poles never has said much one way or the other on the topic and remained rather

“The 2024 training camp will be big for us in preparation for achieving our season goals and we look forward to bringing the fans at home along for the journey,” Poles said.

The timing will make for a rather tough bit of editing. Because the Bears are in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 1, they have to start training camp a week earlier than normal. The date hasn't been announced but it should be sometime around July 17 or 18. So, the first episode of the show will air after the Bears have already begun playing preseason games and have been in camp three weeks.

The Bears will be the first team with a quarterback drafted No. 1 overall on Hard Knocks since Baker Mayfield and the Browns in 2018. They were chosen over the Saints and Broncos, the other two eligible teams.

If the Bears had been on it in the past eight years, had a first-year head coach or were participating in the in-season version of the show, they could have avoided

McCaskey's last statement on the topic had been about as comical as his statement in 2023.

“We're told there is some interest in other teams being on the program,” McCaskey said. “And we welcome that interest.”

In 2023 at the owners meetings, McCaskey had everyone laughing.

“We feel there are a number of teams that have compelling stories to tell on ‘Hard Knocks,' " McCaskey said.

What about the Bears?

"Thirty-one others," he said.

The Giants will be featured on an off-season version of the show.

"We are honored to feature such an iconic NFL franchise on ‘Hard Knocks,'"  NFL Films senior director and supervising producer Shannon Furman said in a statement released by the network. "The Chicago Bears have a talented roster, coaching staff and front office all determined to match the expectations of a hungry fanbase. We are thankful to the entire organization for opening their doors to us for what is sure to be an exciting training camp this summer."

The Bears are only the second team in the NFC North to be featured. The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers have not been on it.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.