The Denver Broncos are a candidate for the 2025 version of Hard Knocks, after all.
Earlier this year, we wrote that Denver could not be forced into Hard Knocks because it did not meet all of the criteria of a team ineligible to turn it down. That was true under the NFL's old rules.
Previously, a team could not be forced into the show if it had been featured on Hard Knocks in the last decade, had a first-year head coach, or made the playoffs in either of the last two years. The league has since made a major revision to those stipulations.
The NFL has removed the playoff rule, which would have prevented the Broncos from being forced into the show this year. Now that clubs which made the playoffs are eligible again, Denver could, in theory, be required by the NFL to be featured on Hard Knocks as early as this summer.
NFL chief media and business officer Brian Rolapp mentioned on Monday how the league has liberalized its rules for Hard Knocks. Here is the full rule—the "non-playoff" requirement has been removed to compel a team.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 2, 2025
This really opens up the NFL's options for HK this summer. pic.twitter.com/2T2j0GIPNS
There will be two versions of the HBO and NFL Films program going forward -- the traditional training camp version that follows one team plus the new in-season version that follows an entire division.
The NFL will rotate the divisions appearing on Hard Knocks, and teams that appear on the in-season version will not be featured on the training camp edition in the same year. So if the AFC West is picked this year, the Broncos would not be followed during training camp.
The league has not yet announced the summer or in-season teams for the 2025 season, but Denver is now officially back in contention for Hard Knocks.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: NFL changes eligibility rules for 'Hard Knocks'
