The Buffalo Bills are heading to HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” and if you think they’re even remotely happy about it, think again.
According to The Athletic’s Tim Graham, the mood inside One Bills Drive is somewhere between weary resignation and outright disdain.
In short, the Bills didn’t ask for this spotlight—they’re being dragged into it, and they’re not hiding it.
“They Loathe the Idea”
Graham didn’t need a direct quote to sum up Buffalo’s feelings. He’s been around head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane long enough to know exactly where they stand.
“They loathe the idea of Hard Knocks,” Graham wrote. “They are not proud to be chosen. They did not seek it. They do not want it.” It’s blunt appraisal that echoes across the NFL, where “Hard Knocks” has become more of a burden than a badge.
McDermott and Beane have built a culture of quiet intensity over the past eight years. They value discipline, privacy, and routine. So having NFL Films cameras document every drill, every meeting and every sideline conversation isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s disruptive.
The League’s Push, Not Buffalo’s Pick
This year, a tweak in eligibility rules meant the Bills couldn’t opt out. With no new head coach, no playoff drought, and no prior appearance on the show, they met the criteria — and the NFL pounced.
That decision might bring viewers offseason content, but it also brings unwanted drama to a team trying to rebound from yet another postseason loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
And Buffalo isn’t the first to push back. Just last year, Robert Saleh and the New York Jets protested the NFL’s decision to force them onto Hard Knocks. Aaron Rodgers said the show was “shoved down our throats,” and the Jets did everything they could to limit access and control the narrative.
The Giants’ offseason version wasn’t any smoother. The franchise became meme fodder after cameras caught John Mara’s now-infamous Saquon Barkley moment, which aged poorly when Barkley bolted for division-rival Philadelphia and promptly won a Super Bowl.
What Will Buffalo Do?
The Bills’ best move may be the pettiest one: give Hard Knocks absolutely nothing.
McDermott, who’s never been one for cameras, could easily turn this into the driest, most uneventful season of the show in its 20-plus-year history. Picture this: vanilla interviews, heavily redacted access, press conferences with zero sizzle. If Buffalo’s brain trust wants to make a point, they can make Hard Knocks so boring that HBO never wants to come back.
That’s not paranoia — that’s precedent. The 2007 Chiefs, the 2010 Bengals, and the 2014 Falcons all gave the NFL’s documentary series the cold shoulder, and fans particularly fondly remember none of those seasons of the show.
Still a Team With Something to Prove
Beyond the cameras and the complaints, the reality is this: the Bills are still chasing a championship window that’s starting to flicker. Josh Allen is still in his prime. The AFC is still stacked. And the specter of the Chiefs continues to loom large.
Hard Knocks won’t define their season. But it can complicate it.
So don’t expect Buffalo to lean into the spotlight. Expect them to put their heads down, grit their teeth, and — in true Bills fashion — treat this like yet another obstacle they didn’t ask for but plan to bulldoze through anyway.
Cue the drone shots of silent practices and closed-door meetings. This could be the least entertaining season of Hard Knocks yet — and the Bills would be proud of that.
