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While there has been no official announcement on this year’s team for “Hard Knocks,” Green Bay Packers team president and CEO Mark Murphy appears to have some inside information confirming what many already believe: It’s going to be the New York Jets.
From Murphy’s monthly Q&A post on Packers.com: “I’m anxious to see the Jets and the many ex-Packers on ‘Hard Knocks’ this summer – should be very entertaining.”
The Jets qualify for an appearance this year. New York doesn’t have a new head coach and hasn’t made the postseason in the past two years. The Packers, meanwhile, made the playoffs in 2021 and can’t be forced to do the show.
The Jets would certainly be entertaining, given the arrival of future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers from the Packers. And Rodgers isn’t alone as a former Packer in New York, as Murphy notes. The quarterback is one of eight former Packers, and Nathaniel Hackett — a locker room favorite who was the offensive coordinator under Matt LaFleur for three years — is now a coach for the Jets.
Other former Packers nowin New York include safety Adrian Amos, receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb and offensive tackle Billy Turner. Many were core players during the successful four-year run to begin the LaFleur era in Green Baty.
Having the Jets on “Hard Knocks” will provide even more opportunities for Rodgers and the ex-Packers to discuss their departure from Green Bay this offseason.
Keep in mind, the Packers would qualify for the show come 2024 if LaFleur’s team doesn’t make the postseason in 2023.
“‘Hard Knocks’ is a great show and gives fans an inside look at a team’s training camp. It also provides good publicity for the team,” Murphy wrote. “The downside is that it can be a distraction and teams are concerned that other teams can learn information from the show. The best thing to do if you don’t want to be on ‘Hard Knocks’ is to make the playoffs every year. The league (and HBO) can only require a team to appear on ‘Hard Knocks’ if they have failed to make the playoffs two years in a row.”