It was announced on Thursday that the Chicago Bears will be appearing on this season's Training Camp iteration of Hard Knocks on HBO.
Some have expressed concern that the Bears' appearance on Hard Knocks may create distractions during a time when the team is implementing a new offense under offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
That was the sentiment that rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze shared with Alyssa Barbieri of Bears Wire when discussing the potential for the Bears to appear on the show.
"“I think for me, I’d definitely be more comfortable not having the ‘Hard Knocks’ in the building just because we’re all learning the new offense as rookies,” Odunze told Bears Wire earlier this month. “Caleb has a lot on his plate already, so learning the offense and growing within the facility and setting a foundation for ourselves. So it would be something that, if it happened, we’d take it and we would go forward with it and do it the best that we could. But I think it might be a little bit of a distraction for what we’re trying to accomplish.”"Rome Odunze, Bears Wire
It's worth noting that this interview happened before the official confirmation that the Bears would be on Hard Knocks, but Odunze's sentiment is likely why George McCaskey was so hesitant about the idea prior to this season.
Hard Knocks shouldn't be a distraction for the Chicago Bears.
Truth be told, this version of Hard Knocks is far more watered down than when the show first debuted. The Bears and the NFL will llikely have some form of control in terms of what makes the show and what doesn't.
This is also the life the Bears chose when they selected Williams with the first overall pick. Not only was Williams a superstar quarterback while playing at USC, but he was also a celebrity who brought national attention. That won't change now that he is the Bears' starting quarterback.