The Niners are eligible to make the once most-watched preseason NFL product.
Once upon a time, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch was adamant that he didn’t want to see his team on the HBO series Hard Knocks. Lynch told KNBR on a Friday in September 2023 when asked if the Niners would ever do Hard Knocks, “Never,” after saying that HBO had previously made an attempt to feature the Niners:
“The best way to take care of it, you get to the playoffs, and then you don’t have to worry about it. We plan on doing that every year so that we don’t ever have to. We had some interesting meetings with folks from HBO because we’ve got colorful, interesting characters in our locker room. Fortunately, we got out of it when we were eligible for it. Like I said, hopefully, we never have to go there again.”
NFL teams were previously exempt from being forced to participate in the show if they met at least one of the three following conditions:
- They have a first-year head coach.
- They made the playoffs in either of the last two years.
- They appeared on Hard Knocks within the last 10 years.
The league changed those conditions this year, however, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the eligibility for Hard Knocks training camp has been amended to the following:
- Does not have a first-year coach
- Is not a member of the division to be featured in Hard Knocks: In Season for such upcoming season, or a member of the division to be featured in the immediately subsequent season
- Has not been featured in Harck Knocks: Training Camp in the previous eight (8) seasons
Unless the NFC West is selected to be this year’s featured division, the 49ers are eligible to be selected as this year’s training camp subject. It’s been a natural instinct for fans, and the Niners under Lynch, to think that HBO has too much of a distraction and they don’t want the added cameras.
I’m impartial. The majority of these players can’t go outside without being “bothered” by civilians for an autograph. They’d go on about practice and team meetings as if it were as close to normal as possible.
Plus, we’re talking about a relatively interesting team compared to the rest of the NFL. From the Super Bowl to a 6-win team. Brandon Aiyuk’s rehab, Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey returning from injury, life without Deebo Samuel, the story of Ricky Pearsall, and Brock Purdy entering training camp after potentially being paid like a top-flight quarterback.
The storylines are endless with this team, and we’re just scratching the surface. It’d be entertaining and help peel back the curtain of some of what goes on at 49ers HQ.
Where do you fall on wanting to see the 49ers on Hard Knocks? For it or against it? Scroll down to the comments below and weigh in!