The Buffalo Bills — not the Denver Broncos — will be featured on this year's installment of "Hard Knocks," HBO's award-winning series that chronicles an NFL team's training camp, providing an inside look from the first practice through final roster cuts.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made the announcement Wednesday, also revealing an NFC East club will be highlighted during the in-season edition of the show.
According to ESPN, "Teams that are not eligible to be selected for 'Hard Knocks: Training Camp' include teams with first-year head coaches, those that have appeared on the training camp version of the show in the past eight seasons and teams that are part of the in-season division selected or next year's in-season division."
The Broncos were among the eligible as they do not employ a first-year head coach and have never starred on "Hard Knocks," either the camp or in-season versions. Teams are now also permitted to appear despite qualifying for the playoffs the prior season, which Denver did in 2024.
However, given head coach Sean Payton's tight-lipped nature and borderline loathsome view of the media, it's unlikely the organization was jumping at the chance to have cameras swarming every inch of Broncos Park this summer.
At least by choice.
"I think it's part of the deal, and I understand it. I get it. It's the only thing that makes me once in a while want to do 'Hard Knocks,'" Payton said in December 2023. "Because there's a perception. That would be the only reason to get an inside (look) as to this whole 'old school' approach. Shoot, you don't do this (for) this long if you're not adjusting, funny, creative—all of those things. I think that I am all of those things."
Left free to their own devices, the Broncos are scheduled to hold voluntary Organized Team Activities from May 27-29 and June 3-5 and a mandatory minicamp from June 10-12 prior to kicking off training camp in late July.
