After weeks of speculation, the 2023 Hard Knocks team to be featured has officially been announced. While it may have taken a while to announce, the team that it will be about will come as no surprise. Each season, Hard Knocks features a different NFL team. The New York Jets will be the team that will be featured on the show. Here is a look at when and where the 2023 Hard Knocks season will air and why it was the New York Jets who were picked.
2023 Hard Knocks
For those who do not know, Hard Knocks is a docu-series that is featured on HBO. It can also be streamed on their service, Max. The show features one of the teams who had a poor record in the prior season. Each season covers a different team and is filmed throughout their training camp. The announcement of the team was a tad delayed, but it has finally been made official.
Jets WR Garrett Wilson (17) – Michael Owens/Getty Images
In the 2022 season, the New York Jets ended the season with a 7-11 record. Normally, this record would not warrant them being featured on the shows, but there is a lot to cover when it comes to this team. Head Coach Robert Saleh has voiced numerous times that he did not want to be on the show. Saleh sees it as a distraction, but at the end of the day, teams are not allowed to say no. The last time that the Jets were featured was in 2010, and they made the playoffs the following season.
The Jets will begin their training camp on July 19th, which means the 2023 Hard Knocks will begin filming right away. They have not officially announced the date the season will premier, but it should be announced soon. Traditionally it airs in August on Tuesdays, so expect it to begin within the first two weeks of the month.
Why the New York Jets
Yes, the Jets ended the season with a 7-11 record, but they were still in fourth in the AFC East. The record is beside the point. Everyone here knows the real reason the Jets are the team to be on the 2023 Hard Knocks season. Despite drafting quarterback Zach Wilson in the 2021 NFL draft with the second pick, the Jets made a big trade in the offseason. Former Greenbay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the newest addition to the Jets, resulting from a big trade.
Jets LB Kwon Alexander (9) – Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
Aaron Rodgers has been in the league since 2005. Once the Packers drafted Jordan Love, it was clear his time with them was nearing the end. With Rodgers joining the Jets, now there are questions about Wilson. At the end of the 2022 season, Wilson made it clear he would not let any veteran quarterback affect him. Seeing the hype surrounding Rodgers definitely is not something Wilson likes, and the two of them together will be a must-watch in the 2023 Hard Knocks.
There are also numerous new members of the team as well. One of the most notable players who joined the Jets, aside from Rodgers, was Allen Lazard. It will be special to watch what this new Jets team will look like ahead of the 2023 season. The AFC, in general, is a tough one, but if New York was able to win seven games in 2022, they should be able to put up a strong fight in 2023. Even if they did not come for Rodgers specifically, the Jets have built up a stacked team that can be fun to watch.
This may not have been the most surprising team to be announced, but they are the team with the biggest storyline heading into the season. Yes, if they did not get Rodgers, the focus probably would have been on the Chicago Bears or the Houston Texans. At the end of the day, the 2023 Hard Knocks is a show, and HBO wants people to watch the newest season. The New York Jets will be the team to watch this summer.
