Seahawks get the ‘Hard Knocks’ call for 2026, Patriots on deck for next season

HBO’s “Hard Knocks” will go inside training camp with the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks this summer, the NFL revealed Monday night at its annual meeting in Phoenix, according to a league source. The NFL also announced that Seattle’s Super Bowl foe, the New England Patriots, are on deck for the 2027 installment of the series, the source said. It’s believed to be the first time the league has announced a “Hard Knocks” team more than a year in advance.

This summer’s appearance will be the Seahawks’ first on the series. Last season, HBO gave fans a five-episode “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills.”

The series debuted in 2001 with the Baltimore Ravens as the team in the spotlight.

The NFL expanded the eligibility criteria last year for which teams can appear on the series.  Teams were previously exempt from appearing if they made the playoffs in either of the last two seasons, had a first-year head coach, or had been featured on the show within the last 10 years, but that rule was eliminated in 2025.

In the past, some teams have been reluctant to take a turn in the “Hard Knocks” spotlight because of potential distractions.