HBO's "Hard Knocks" is set to feature an entire division, in-season, for the first time.
The NFL announced on Monday that this year's in-season version will feature the AFC North, with behind-the-scenes looks at the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Cleveland Browns.
The new season will debut on December 3.
Go behind the scenes with an entire NFL division for the first time ever.#HardKnocks In-Season with the AFC North premieres December 3 on @StreamOnMax. pic.twitter.com/xsPbilzv1N
— NFL (@NFL) June 17, 2024
In a statement on NFL.com, NFL Films vice president and head of content Keith Cossrow said the competitiveness of the AFC North made for an easy choice.
"Last season the AFC North became the first division ever to have all four teams finish with a winning record, making it the perfect place to launch this new approach to Hard Knocks," Cossrow said. "We thank the Bengals, Browns, Ravens and Steelers for the opportunity to showcase some of the greatest rivalries in football and present the intensity of a playoff chase from all four corners of this incredibly competitive division."
The Ravens were the first team to be featured on "Hard Knocks" when it premiered in 2001.
This year, the Ravens, of course, hope to be in the midst of a winning season that will set them up to contend for a Super Bowl.
There shouldn't be any shortage of interesting storylines for the Ravens, from Lamar Jackson's general presence, Derrick Henry's first season in Baltimore, vocal leaders like Roquan Smith, plus the lesser-known stories that "Hard Knocks" always uncovers.
