The New York Jets are reportedly gearing up to participate in preseason Hard Knocks though they’ve insisted on not taking part.
According to a league source cited by Mike Florio, the NFL will not be taking the team’s desire to remain away from the show into consideration and could force them into participation.
The Jets are among four teams that fit the criteria for Hard Knocks this year. The league developed a formula several years ago that determined which teams would be eligible for the show in any given campaign. Any team not heading into the season with a new head coach, which has not been to the playoffs the last two seasons, and has not been on the show for the past 10 years, would qualify in any given year.
The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, and New Orleans Saints are the other three teams fitting said criteria ahead of the 2023 season.
The Jets, Bears, and Saints have indicated that they don’t want to do it this year. Although the Commanders have no such objections, the league would prefer waiting until the sale is complete; so they could be the in-season option.
The league is reported to have approached some other teams in hopes of finding a volunteer and asked the Detroit Lions to make a second straight appearance. However, they declined.
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While the Jets cannot technically refuse, the NFL doesn’t usually force teams to do Hard Knocks. So we’ll just have to wait and see how this plays out.
