The NFL has announced the teams that will be featured on Hard Knocks in 2025, and the Pittsburgh Steelers will avoid the HBO show after being featured on the in-season version that focused on the AFC North last year. In a press conference from the spring meetings, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the Buffalo Bills will be featured on the training camp version of the show, while the NFC East will be on the in-season edition.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media tweeted the news.
The NFL tweaked the rules for who eligible to be on Hard Knocks, and the new requirements meant that the Steelers would’ve been eligible for the training camp version of the show. With another offseason of roster turnover and the potential of the team signing Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers have leaguewide interest, but the Bills will appear instead, likely to the relief of many inside Pittsburgh’s locker room.
It would’ve been a little ridiculous if the league put the Steelers on Hard Knocks after cameras followed them around the second half of last season, but the new eligibility rules did not disqualify them despite appearing on the in-season version of the show last year. The Bills are an interesting team to follow, as they’re coming off an AFC Championship Game appearance and are trying to get over the hump to win the first Super Bowl in team history.
They have a strong nucleus in place led by QB Josh Allen and the Bills made some key additions on the defensive side of the ball, EDGE Joey Bosa among them, but they haven’t been able to get past the Kansas City Chiefs in the postseason. That will surely be a topic that’s brought up to try and create a narrative during the show.
The Steelers do play the Bills this season, a matchup that will take place in Week 13. As for the in-season version of the show, the Steelers do not face any NFC East opponents after playing the division last season, so there won’t be any footage of teams playing or game planning for Pittsburgh.
It’s nice for the Steelers to avoid appearing on the show again and avoid their first appearance on the training camp version of the show. It’ll allow them to prepare for the season as normal without cameras recording everything and can only help the team home in on its goal of winning a playoff game for the first time since 2016.
