The selling point of "Hard Knocks" is the behind-the-scenes access it provides football fans.
But it sounds like that access is going to be limited in the upcoming season of the popular HBO and NFL Films series.
During an appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" on Monday, NFL insider Adam Schefter detailed the New York Jets' disinterest in "being partners" in the making of "Hard Knocks" after being forced by the NFL to be featured on the show.
"The Jets fought it all along," Schefter said. "They met with NFL Films and told them, clear as day, 'We don't want to do this.'
"'Hard Knocks' will not be the same because they're not going to be given the same access. ... This is a partnership, this is a relationship, and the Jets are not interested in being partners with NFL Films no matter what they say.
"The Jets are not going to provide the level of cooperation that the Lions provided last year or that other teams have provided in other years."
One cutback the Jets could make in terms of access? Not showing players being released.
"The Jets do not believe it's humane to show players being released," Schefter said. "So it would surprise me if we see that this summer."
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This will be New York's second "Hard Knocks" appearance, with the first coming back in 2010 when the boisterous Rex Ryan was head coach. Ryan and Co. went on to make a second straight AFC title game that season.
The Jets were one of four teams -- along with the Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints and Washington Commanders -- that met the "Hard Knocks" criteria for this season since they had not been on the show in over 10 years. That allowed the league to, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers recently put it, force it down their throats.
“I understand the appeal with us,” Rodgers said last week. “Obviously, there’s a lot of eyes on me. A lot of eyes on our team. A lot of expectations on our squad. So, they forced it down our throats, and we’ve got to deal with it.”
We'll get to see just how the Jets' discontent affects "Hard Knocks" when the five-episode season premieres on Tuesday, Aug. 8.
