The Bears announced their participation in this offseason's version of "Hard Knocks" alongside the NFL, NFL Films and Max on Thursday.
They will become the 18th team to participate in the notorious NFL documentary. This appearance will mark the first ever for the franchise, too.
Here's everything you need to know about the Bears on "Hard Knocks."
What is "Hard Knocks"?
"Hard Knocks" is an NFL-centric documentary that follows an NFL team during its respective training camp, gaining unprecedented access and captivating storylines to share in a season-long documentary form.
Since its initial success, they've created different versions of the documentary, including an "offseason" version of the documentary focused on the New York Giants; it will debut on July 2.
They've also executed four consecutive "in-season" documentaries. This season, the in-season version will feature an entire division.
Chicago Bears
How to watch "Hard Knocks"
"Hard Knocks" will air on HBO and stream on Max.
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When will the Bears debut on "Hard Knocks"?
The first episode of the Bears' version of "Hard Knocks" will air at 8 p.m. (CT) on Aug. 6.
How were the Bears selected for "Hard Knocks"?
NFL teams rarely, if even, opt to volunteer to participate in the documentary. Many NFL teams view the documentary as a distraction to their offseason tasks because of the incredible access the documentary earns.
Because of the general apathy, the NFL crafted three-pronged criteria allowing them to force a team into participation. Here are the criteria:
- The team hasn't appeared on the documentary in the last 10 years
- The team does not have a new head coach
- The team hasn't made the playoffs in either of the last two seasons
The Bears, along with the Saints and Broncos, qualified for the criteria. Of those three teams, it's inarguable the Bears' offseason moves and inclining success attracted HBO into being the subject of the show.
How many teams have done "Hard Knocks"?
To date, 16 teams have participated in some form of "Hard Knocks." Once the Giants' version is officially out, they will become the 17th team to participate, and the Bears will be the 18th.
Here are all the teams who have participated in "Hard Knocks." (Italicized teams are those are scheduled to participate but have yet to air.)
| Year | Team | Version |
| 2001 | Baltimore Ravens | Training Camp |
| 2002 | Dallas Cowboys | Training Camp |
| 2007 | Kansas City Chiefs | Training Camp |
| 2008 | Dallas Cowboys | Training Camp |
| 2009 | Cincinnati Bengals | Training Camp |
| 2010 | New York Jets | Training Camp |
| 2012 | Miami Dolphins | Training Camp |
| 2013 | Cincinnati Bengals | Training Camp |
| 2014 | Atlanta Falcons | Training Camp |
| 2015 | Houston Texans | Training Camp |
| 2016 | Los Angeles Rams | Training Camp |
| 2017 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Training Camp |
| 2018 | Cleveland Browns | Training Camp |
| 2019 | Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders | Training Camp |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Chargers and Rams | Training Camp |
| 2021 | Dallas Cowboys | Training Camp |
| 2021 | Indianapolis Colts | In-Season |
| 2022 | Detroit Lions | Training Camp |
| 2022 | Arizona Cardinals | In-Season |
| 2023 | New York Jets | Training Camp |
| 2023 | Miami Dolphins | In-Season |
| 2024 | New York Giants | Offseason |
| 2024 | Chicago Bears | Training Camp |
