The added benefit to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ improbable bid to making the playoffs? They don’t have to worry about appearing on Hard Knocks this summer.
Had the Steelers been eliminated from postseason contention, they would’ve qualified for all three criteria to be on the show for what would’ve been the first time ever.
By NFL rule, there are three ways teams can avoid being selected for the show.
1. Having a first-year head coach
2. Appearing on the show in the last 10 years
3. Making the playoffs within the last two seasons
Unless the Steelers decided to fire Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh had no “out” to avoid the cameras. But now that they’ve punched their ticket to the playoffs, by way of Tennessee beating Jacksonville, they can’t be chosen. And the earliest they could appear isn’t until 2026, this postseason appearance resetting their counter and “allowing” them to miss the playoffs in 2024 and 2025 before becoming eligible for the HBO show.
Had they been an option, it’s hard to imagine the NFL wouldn’t have jumped at the chance to put the Steelers in the limelight. One of the NFL’s most popular teams, they would be a massive draw. Steelers fans would relish the behind-the-scenes look at how the team is built and run, especially during training camp when the team goes away to Latrobe and Saint Vincent College, one of the few organizations still travelling during the summer. Football fans and media would be all over the chance to learn even more about Tomlin and how he runs the team. Everyone would’ve loved the chance to see the Steelers in a way they’ve never been viewed before.
Except, of course, the Steelers. Pittsburgh loathes the idea of inviting a film crew to capture so many personal and intimate moments. The Steelers became eligible to appear on the show following the 2019 season with team president and owner Art Rooney II saying they would “grin and bear it” if chosen.
“I know it seems like it’s getting a lot of attention here and it’s one of those things that if we have to do it, we’ll grin and bear it,” Rooney said in January 2020. “I think if they ask if we’re volunteering for this, we’ll say, no. It’s not necessarily a volunteer-kind-of-situation anymore as you know.”
But Pittsburgh was bailed out by the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams, who volunteered to be on the show. The Steelers avoided the cameras.
Through the playoffs, the Steelers have avoided the show again. In recent years, the league has had a tougher time finding a team willing to sign up. In 2023, no team volunteered to appear on the show. The NFL was forced to pick a team, selecting the New York Jets, who brought all buzz of Aaron Rodgers and playing in a major market.
Based on my math, these are the teams currently eligible for 2024’s version of Hard Knocks: the Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, and Washington Commanders.
If the NFL counts the in-season version of the show as part of the “within 10-year requirement,” then the Colts and Cardinals also wouldn’t be eligible. And this comes before any teams make potential coaching changes. It’s possible the Titans, Patriots, Bears, and Commanders all fire and hire new coaches this year (it’s nearly guaranteed Washington is going to fire Ron Rivera, if it hasn’t happened already, which will take the Commanders off the eligible list).
Though this list is longer than last year, which had just four eligible clubs, the Steelers would’ve been the most attractive team on the list with maybe save for the Patriots should they keep Bill Belichick, which would also be a cool angle to explore. Pittsburgh’s odds of being selected would’ve been high, to say the least.
But all of this is now a moot point. Pittsburgh will avoid the show for yet another season, and a couple more, which is sure to make ownership just as happy as having the chance to continue its season.
