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Ranking 10 best seasons of 'Hard Knocks': Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets on it twice

Which NFL franchise delivered the best season of the acclaimed docudrama? Chiefs? Cowboys? Jets? Browns? Or was it another team altogether? 

Alan Goldsher

Did Tony Romo's 2008 Dallas Cowboys crush their appearance on HBO's 'Hard Knocks'?
Did Tony Romo's 2008 Dallas Cowboys crush their appearance on HBO's 'Hard Knocks'? / Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
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The year is 2001. Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake go out on their first date. Veggie-loving scientists genetically modify a tomato that can grow and thrive in saltwater. Fifteen-year-old sherpa Temba Tsheri becomes the youngest person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

And a premium cable outlet by the name of HBO drops what arguably became the most important, most beloved sports reality series in the history of television and paved the way for the fortunes of Netflix.

Premiering on August 1, 2001, HBO’s "Hard Knocks" was the first TV show to give NFL fans a lengthy in-depth insider look at the game. Set primarily at the chosen team’s training camp, HK features revealing interviews, awkward player/coach interactions, accidental humor, and moments of surprising pathos. With hours of fantastic narration by gravitas-voiced actor Liev Schreiber, "Hard Knocks" captivated both critics and fans alike.

Virtually every NFL team has been subjected to the "Hard Knocks" treatment—and we say subjected because not every player is super-psyched to have HBO’s cameras all up in their face as they prep for the season, or, more poignantly, strive to earn a roster spot.

All of which is why we never miss an episode. In our minds, the show hasn’t produced a single bad year, but here are ten iterations of "Hard Knocks" that, to us, stand out above the rest:

10. Dallas Cowboys: Season 2 (2002)

After eight playoff appearances in the previous 10 seasons, Dallas was a team in decline, so hundreds of thousands of non-Cowboy fans watched this year of HK with a tangible sense of schadenfreude. Maligned head coach Dave Campo was a dead-man walking, stud running back Emmitt Smith lackluster’d his way through training camp, and the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders received far more camera time than they deserved—but it was either the cheerleaders or iffy starting QB Quincy Carter, so you do the math.

9. Kansas City Chiefs: Season 3 (2007)

Highlighted by a whole lot of backfield drama (Larry Johnson’s holdout, Priest Holmes’ attempt to resurrect his career) and a weird QB battle between the un-legendary Brodie Croyle and the even-less-legendary Damon Huard, this season was the series’ first back on the air after a five-year hiatus. The most memorable aspect of the show wasn’t what went down on the field, but rather the narration courtesy of hardcore Chiefs supporter, Paul Rudd.

8. Houston Texans: Season 10 (2015)

Two seasons removed from a 2-14 record, the Texans were a team on the rise—and, has been made evident over the last 20-ish years, HBO has a healthy appreciation for ascendent squads. Naturally there was focus on an oddball quarterback clash (Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett…yikes), but the year was highlighted by the eternally telegenic J.J. Watt. On the heartwarming side of things, OT David Quessenberry’s fight to make it back into the league after his bout with lymphoma was spellbinding.

7. Cleveland Browns: Season 13 (2018)

The 2017 Browns were 0-16, so the sadistic HBO decision-makers were probably like, “This franchise has been a Dumpster fire for the last ten years, so wouldn’t it be fun to make their preseason miserable?” Well, yeah, and what joyful misery it was. You’ve got Hue Jackson clinging on to his head coaching gig. You’ve got rookie Baker Mayfield attempting to figure out how to be an NFL quarterback. You’ve got oft-suspended receiver Josh Gordon trying to resurrect his career. And you’ve got legally-challenged rookie receiver Antonio Galloway fighting the law (and the law won). Fun, fun, fun!

6. New York Jets: Season 20 (2023)

New York’s not-finest had zero interest in being put under the HK microscope, and they didn’t care who knew it, with head coach Robert Saleh kvetching during the offseason, “I know there are several teams that would love Hard Knocks to be in their building. We’re just not one of them.” (Note: It’s doubtful any team would love HK in their building. They might tolerate it. But love? Not so much.) Despite the protests, Saleh et al were forced to deal with the HBO cameras, and what with the team’s collection of big personalities—Saleh, mouthy sophomore CB Sauce Gardner, controversial QB Aaron Rodgers among them—we HK loyalists were all the better for it.

5. Baltimore Ravens: Season 1 (2001)

An HK best-of list wouldn’t be complete without the OG. There’s a sense of electricity to the show’s debut year that became rarer as the series progressed, likely because the players learned that revealing too much about oneself could be, oh, let’s go with problematic. But with soon-to-be-retired vets like Shannon Sharpe, Rod Woodson, and Tony Siragusa doing Sharpe, Woodson, and Siragu-ian things, season one is a keeper.

4. Cincinnati Bengals: Season 8 (2013)

Boasting a roster sprinkled with players of iffy character (we’re talking to you, Vontaze Burfect and Pacman Jones), this iteration of the Bengals was the team you loved to hate and/or hated to love. Thing is, the Bengals were coming off of a 10-6 record, and they were still damn good, thus HBO was unable to resist Cincy’s combination of controversy and talent, even though the Bengals were given the HK treatment just four years prior. Turns out the programmers were very much on-point with their choice, as we were able to enjoy an aging James Harrison being less-than-nice, as well as what was likely the series’ oddest quarterback skirmish: Josh Johnson vs. John Skelton. (The Johnson/Skelton tussle made the Croyle/Huard tête-à-tête seem normal. Or normal-ish.)

3. Oakland Raiders: Season 14 (2019)

Two entries ago, we noted that an HK best-of list wouldn’t be complete without the OG. To that end, an NFL behind-the-scenes series wouldn’t be complete without an appearance from the team ESPN’s Chris Berman calls, “The Rrrrrai-duhs.” A franchise that seems to make way too many questionable choices, the 2019 Oakland front office decided it would be a good idea to bring pot-stirring receiver Antonio Brown to camp, where, after recovering from some foot frostbite, he got into it with the NFL regarding his preferred helmet. [Insert eye roll emoji here.] The fact that the Raiders also invited bullying offensive guard Richie Incognito into the mix was another one of those aforementioned questionable choices. But bad choices make for good television, so here we are.

2. New York Jets: Season 6 (2010)

The green-and-white delivered HK’s funniest season, thanks to the presence of one Rex Ashley Ryan. The J-E-T-S’ profane, quick-witted head coach was as hard-nosed as any HC in the league. But he was far more clever, and wasn’t afraid to flash his boisterous sense of humor, dropping f-bombs as if there wasn’t a camera to be seen. (After revisiting season 6, we’ve decided that Rex should be the star of each year of HK, whether or not he has an affiliation with the featured team.) Tracking the progress of the charming, eager, somewhat clueless second-year QB Mark Sanchez was also a treat.

1. Dallas Cowboys: Season 4 (2008)

To paraphrase "Saturday Night Live" character Stefon, this season had everything. There was goofball rookie Martellus Bennett enduring the coaches’ (justifiable) verbal slings and arrows. There was Pacman Jones (again) doing Pacman Jones things. There was Tony Romo, flashing the kind of charm and knowledge that would help him become one of the NFL’s greatest TV analysts. And there was coach Wade Phillips being his usual cranky self. This, ladies and gentlemen, is your desert island season of Hard Knocks.

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Alan Goldsher

ALAN GOLDSHER