It appears that the Chicago Bears front office will once again get what they want from the league. Maybe it has to do with the history of this franchise and how much George Halas meant to the actual creation of the NFL. Maybe Virginia McCaskey put in a request as the oldest NFL owner. Or, maybe the NFL decided they wanted the drama of Aaron Rodgers to help fuel their ratings. No matter the reason, I am sure George McCaskey believes the team dodged a massive bullet as rumors are swirling that the NFL will pursue the New York Jets to be the team on this season of Hard Knocks.
When it comes to the Chicago Bears, we know that the front office believes everything is top-secret. The problem is, none of that really matters the way the McCaskeys believe. Teams that literally live-stream their practices have outperformed this organization for years, yet the media are limited to what they can show and speak about when viewing practices closed off to the general public.
The Chicago Bears escape this season of HBO's Hard Knocks
In fairness, the Bears were not the only team not wanting to be on HBO's Hard Knocks. Reports came out that of the four teams that could be forced to be a part of the show, only the Washington Commanders were slightly interested. I doubt the NFL wants anything to do with that franchise right now — maybe give it a couple of years after the sale. The Saints, Bears and Jets were the three other teams. However, even the other 28 teams that couldn't be forced did not seem interested.
Most Chicago Bears fans would love to watch the team from inside the locker room and Halas Hall. Fans already love the YouTube series 1920 Football Drive. However, those episodes are released too few and far between. Giving fans access to the Bears organization could honestly bring even more fans as the NFL pushes for more exposure to other countries. I don't see the downside. I'm sure from inside the organization, having that distraction could feel annoying, but I say embrace it.
I am not sure we will ever see the Chicago Bears featured on Hard Knocks (or any similar show) and that is somewhat disappointing. We will just have to wait to watch the team on game day or luck into some training camp tickets as they are released for raffle.