Ranking the 5 NFL teams most likely to be on Hard Knocks if the league doesn’t use its ‘force’ rule

The NFL had an idea of the teams it wanted to feature on this year’s Hard Knocks. But, apparently, not everyone wants the “America’s Team” spotlight the Detroit Lions received last summer. As such, the league finds itself in a unique predicament.

According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, three of the four technically eligible teams for the famed NFL training camp documentary series — the Chicago Bears, New York Jets, and New Orleans Saints — have little interest in actually becoming streaming service subjects. Only the Washington Commanders would follow through if the league picked them. There is a “force rule” in play, but the NFL seemingly doesn’t want to use it on an organization that doesn’t want the extra attention.

The rub there is that the Commanders are in the midst of finalizing a sale to new owner Josh Harris. Such a deal will reportedly not be finished until at least late July. If selected for Hard Knocks, that means the Commanders would more likely be the central focus of the recent in-season version because the NFL doesn’t want to showcase a team in the process of being sold.

It also means that just over a month before Hard Knocks usually begins, no one is lined up for the training camp edition!

To give the NFL a working list as it expands its search, here’s an idea of who I think could be picked for Hard Knocks soon. Note: While the bubble of choices is being widened (to, I assume, include some playoff teams), I stuck with the league’s general criteria otherwise.

That is as follows:

• The team cannot have qualified for the postseason in two straight years.
• The coach must be in their second year at the helm at a minimum.
• The team cannot have been on Hard Knocks in at least a decade.

Each of the following squads meet these baseline barometers. All odds are courtesy of me following the breadcrumbs to an interesting training camp season.

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