Everyone’s favorite NFL show, Hard Knocks, is returning for the start of the 2025 season. The Emmy Award-winning HBO show announced that it will follow the Buffalo Bills during the team’s training camp portion of the offseason. Presumably, Hard Knocks has already begun filming the Bills, as the team plans to start its voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) on May 27, with mandatory minicamp following on June 10.
As with any NFL edition of Hard Knocks, there will be a plethora of storylines to follow throughout the show’s filming period. However, the Buffalo Bills have several high-profile storylines that fans will undoubtedly want to follow as the season unfolds over the next few months. Below, we’ll go over the top five storylines that are set to unfold during the Buffalo Bills’ training camp.
How the Bills’ Receiver Room Shakes Out
One of, if not the biggest, question surrounding the current Buffalo Bills roster is how the wide receiver room turns out. The Bills signed veterans Elijah Moore and Joshua Palmer in the offseason to try and replace Amari Cooper, who is still unsigned in the NFL, but has a few good team fits still out there.
With Moore and Palmer in the mix, Buffalo has Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, and Curtis Samuel to round out the likely opening day depth chart. However, currently on the roster, the Bills have 13 total receivers signed, meaning there should be extremely healthy competition throughout training camp. This includes 2025 seventh-round draft choice Kaden Prather out of Maryland, who some Buffalo pundits have pegged as a dark horse to make the 53-man roster. At the very least, Prather will almost certainly be a Hard Knocks darling who the show keeps consistent tabs on in every episode.
Regardless of how the receiver room turns out, it should be a fascinating battle to watch as training camp unfolds.
Whether James Cook Shows Up Or Not
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2024 Buffalo Bills was the true emergence of running back James Cook, who turned in a monster season of 1,000+ rushing yards and 16 TDs. Naturally, following such a successful season, Cook wanted to cash in with a shiny new contract from the Bills. However, Cook and the Bills have publicly gone back and forth with each other regarding contract negotiations, and things currently appear to be at a standstill.
Cook believes he’s worth $15M a year instead of the $5M base salary he’s slated to make in 2025. This is Cook’s last year on his rookie deal, and it’s clear the running back is willing to wait out the Bills even as training camp gets underway. It will be extremely interesting to follow GM Brandon Beane’s decision-making as it relates to Cook and his contract. Will Cook hold out for a portion or all of training camp? Will the Bills opt to trade the running back, or can the two sides come together on a contract before the season begins?
Will the Joey Bosa Gamble Pay Off?
The Buffalo Bills made a significant splash in free agency, choosing to sign DE Joey Bosa to a healthy 1-year, $12.6M deal. Bosa was once one of the NFL’s most feared edge rushers, but injuries have recently become an issue for Bosa, which helped lead to his departure from the LA Chargers. Bosa signed a one-year “prove it” deal to hopefully sign for more money in 2026. Of course, Bosa needs to play well to have his hopes realized.
While Bosa will certainly have a starting role along the defensive line to start training camp, the Bills brought in a plethora of defensive players in free agency and the draft. Bosa needs to show he still has what it takes to be an elite edge rusher in the NFL, or else he’s at decent risk for seeing his playing time dip over the course of the season. It’ll be interesting to watch some potential young players and rookies challenge Bosa on the edge, as the Bills should have great competition for first-team reps.
How Much Hailee Steinfeld Will We See?
It sounds silly, but when the star quarterback of an NFL team is engaged to one of the world’s biggest actresses and that team is then featured in a documentary series, it becomes a storyline to follow. Quarterback Josh Allen is currently engaged to Hailee Steinfeld, the star actress from the recent blockbuster Sinners. The two have led a fairly private love life, all things considered, but it’s worth watching to see whether Steinfeld makes an appearance or two throughout the show.
I’m not saying we have a Bill Belichick/Jordan Hudson situation to watch out for, but it could be intriguing to see if Steinfeld spends any time around the Bills’ practice facility. Or maybe Hard Knocks documents some wedding planning between Allen and his teammates. Who knows how the show will handle the high-profile engagement, but it’s a storyline nonetheless.
Are We Watching The End Of Sean McDermott In Buffalo?
Since head coach Sean McDermott was hired in 2017, the Bills have had an unprecedented run of success for the franchise. They’ve been to the playoffs all but one year under McDermott and made it to the AFC Championship Game twice (2020, 2024). While the Bills have been one of the most successful NFL teams in terms of wins during McDermott’s tenure as head coach, the team has yet to reach a Super Bowl despite having terrific chances to do so.
While it might seem unlikely that McDermott would be fired after another season that doesn’t end with the hoisting of the Lombardi, there have been rumors that the head coach is on thinner ice than people believe. The Bills have one of the best QBs on the planet, a consistent defense, and an offense with above-average weapons (assuming the receiver room shakes out nicely). In a noticeably weaker AFC than in years past, Buffalo has no reason not to make its first Super Bowl in three decades.
However, if the team fails to reach the promised land once again, this could be the last offseason we see Sean McDermott coaching the Bills.
That wraps up our five storylines to watch as Hard Knocks travels to document the Buffalo Bills in 2025. Did we miss any storylines you’re looking forward to watching? Let us know in the comments.
