After several reports of the University of North Carolina football team as the subject of the upcoming NFL Films documentary Hard Knocks, there is a reported change in plans. According to CBS Sports’ NFL reporter Jonathan Jones, NFL Films had discissions with Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels but could not reach an agreement.
Jones reports that the two sides both felt they were close to an agreement, but a contract had yet to be officially signed for the latest season for the NFL Films series.
The documentary series is now still without a team as the NFL calendar moves into the free agency period and NFL Draft portion of the league calendar.
The reported marriage between the University of North Carolina and NFL Films Hard Knocks would have been the first time the documentary series would be featuring a college football team. The Tar Heels made the biggest splash of the offseason by hiring former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick to lead the program, which likely led to the discussions between the two sides. If the two sides did come to some agreement, it would have been Belichick’s first appearance on the NFL Films series, as the Patriots were never featured during his 24-year tenure with the team.
According to CBS Sports, there could be an announcement regarding the teams participating in the training camp and/or in-season “Hard Knocks” series which could be revealed as early as the NFL’s annual meetings at the start of April. CBS also states that there is still a desire within the Tar Heels football program to do some sort of behind-the-scenes series with some media group.
Hard Knocks faced significant criticism for its coverage of last season’s edition, which focused on the New York Giants’ offseason. The series highlighted the failed contract negotiations with running back Saquon Barkley, putting the situation on public display.
The five-episode season also documented the team’s inability to execute a draft-day trade that could have altered the organization’s trajectory. Additionally, the show appeared to depict a franchise lacking a clear identity or direction, with multiple executives shown pursuing conflicting visions for the team.
As a result, many NFL franchises have reconsidered how Hard Knocks might impact their organizations. This year marks the 25th season of the series, which remains a flagship documentary offering a behind-the-scenes look into the inner workings of a football program on HBO.
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