The Chicago Bears have officially been selected as the featured team on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” this summer for the first time in franchise history.
The Bears were one of three teams who could be forced into doing the show — along with the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints — and it’s easy to see why Chicago was the chosen team.
It’s arguably the most exciting time for the franchise in decades as they usher in a new era with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, a top receiver trio (DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, rookie Rome Odunze) and a top-10 defense looking to improve on their strong finish to last season.
Before the Bears were selected as this year’s “Hard Knocks” team, I asked Odunze about his thoughts on the cameras potentially rolling on Chicago this summer. He admitted that, if it were up to him, he’d prefer not to have it as a distraction during his rookie season.
“I think for me, I’d definitely be more comfortable not having the ‘Hard Knocks’ in the building just because we’re all learning the new offense as rookies,” Odunze told Bears Wire earlier this month. “Caleb has a lot on his plate already, so learning the offense and growing within the facility and setting a foundation for ourselves. So it would be something that, if it happened, we’d take it and we would go forward with it and do it the best that we could. But I think it might be a little bit of a distraction for what we’re trying to accomplish.”
It doesn’t come as a surprise, considering most NFL players (and teams) would prefer to keep the cameras out of the facility as they prepare for the upcoming season. But it’s something that, as Odunze said, they’ll deal with and try to keep focused on their goals heading into the 2024 season.