Okay, so the other day I was watching, and they mentioned the possibility of the AFC North being featured on “Hard Knocks.” It got me thinking, “Could this actually happen?” So, I dove into researching everything about it.
Digging into Eligibility Rules
First things first, I needed to understand the rules. I found out that teams can be exempt from being forced onto “Hard Knocks” if they meet certain criteria:
- They have a first-year head coach.
- They’ve made the playoffs in the past two seasons.
- They’ve appeared on “Hard Knocks” in the last 10 years.
Checking Out Each Team
Next, I went through each team in the AFC North, one by one, to see where they stand:
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Been a while since they were on, and no new coach. playoff bound, so they don’t meet the rules.
- Cleveland Browns: They were on it in 2018, so that’s still within the 10-year window. no new coach, playoff bound, out.
- Baltimore Ravens: Featured way back in 2001, they don’t have a new coach and are regulars in the playoffs .
- Cincinnati Bengals: They’ve been on twice, 2009 and 2013. Also no new coach. playoff bound as well.
The Verdict, Maybe
So, after all this digging, I found that no team is acutally abliged to do it, but it’s still a lot of fun.
I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what the NFL decides!
