HBO has made their choice — this year’s NFL franchise to be featured on the annual “Hard Knocks” programming will be the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas, which is coming off a disappointing season that saw QB Dak Prescott succumb to injury early on and a defense that betrayed them at every turn, will be a big draw for HBO; a continuation of the formula HBO went with last year, when they drew the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers out of a big market to be featured in tandem.
The 2021 season will be Dallas’ third time on the show; the Cowboys were featured in 2002 and 2008 in the past.
With a three-time repeat performer in Dallas now officially committed to, Dolphins fans are probably curious as to whether or not the Dolphins will get the spotlight once again in the near future are not. Miami has made one appearance on the show — a stint back in 2012 that spotlighted a rookie quarterback in Ryan Tannehill, a ‘queasy’ Joe Philbin awkwardly releasing Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson and former Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland telling cornerback Vontae Davis he’d been traded to Indianapolis.
The Dolphins, under the direction of Chris Grier and Brian Flores, don’t necessarily feel like the type of leadership that would welcome a flood of cameras (and distractions) into their summertime preparations — Grier is very unassuming and typically shies away from the spotlight. And while spotlighting Flores on a national scale would likely help improve the appreciation for him as a coach, Flores’ coaching lineage hails from the New England Patriots system — where privacy and focus and attention are paramount.
But even if the Dolphins are unwilling, they may find themselves as an attractive candidate sooner rather than later — the NFL does have the ability to pick a team against their will for the programming. But there are three stipulations in place for such an event. A team will not be eligible to be picked if they:
- have a first-year head coach
- have made the playoffs in the last two seasons
- appeared on the show in the past 10 years.
A quick check of the calendar will confirm that the Dolphins will be eligible to be featured on Hard Knocks in 2023 barring the team firing Brian Flores after the 2022 NFL season or making the postseason in each of the next two seasons. Miami’s last appearance came in 2012, so they’ll be clear of a decade of programming after next summer.
Teams are always able to volunteer themselves, too. We’re not sure we’ll see that kind of eagerness from this regime in Miami. So look for postseason eligibility could be a major factor in whether or not we see HBO down in Miami Gardens in 2023 or shortly after — as we don’t see Flores going anywhere any time soon.
