Could the Carolina Panthers appear on HBO’s Hard Knocks in 2021?
By Dean Jones
Why are the Carolina Panthers contenders for Hard Knocks?
According to published criteria regarding appearing on HBO Hard Knocks, the Carolina Panthers do have a chance of being asked to get some additional media exposure and provide fans league-wide with an almost all-access view of their plans for the 2021 campaign.
Teams are exempt from consideration if:
- They have appointed a new head coach during the offseason.
- A team has secured a playoff spot over the last two seasons (2019 and 2020).
- An organization has appeared on Hard Knocks over the last decade.
To the best of our knowledge, this leaves five NFL teams eligible for Hard Knocks this year.
- Arizona Cardinals
- Carolina Panthers
- Dallas Cowboys
- Denver Broncos
- New York Giants
Now a good case could be made for any of those teams getting the nod given the drama and questions surrounding each franchise. However, the Panthers are in with a shot at the very least and it will be interesting to see if they are selected for what is sure to be another intense few weeks before competitive action gets underway.
Matt Rhule was credited for taking every COVID-19 precaution possible during camp, something that continued into the season and brought just one significant complication thanks to a team gathering outside of the team facility during their bye week.
His methods went down extremely well with the roster during camp. So from a fan perspective, it would be fantastic to see this first hand on Hard Knocks.