The Houston Texans have reportedly emerged as the favorites to be featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks this August, according to ESPN’s Tania Ganguli and John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi proclaimed early Friday morning that the Texans, Redskins and Bills were each in the mix, but ESPN’s John Keim has since reported that Washington is not in consideration.
Though Bills new head coach Rex Ryan an affinity for the spotlight, the fact that Buffalo has a new coaching staff in place seems to reduce its chances of appearing on the show later this summer.
Cleveland was considered the heavy favorite to be featured on Hard Knocks earlier this spring, but the Browns emphatically stated their opposition to appearing on the show at NFL meetings in late March.
According to Grossi, the main reason for their opposition “was to protect quarterback Johnny Manziel’s private recovery from an offseason drug and alcohol rehabilitation stint.”
Manziel’s stint in rehab ended in early April, and he’s since received loads of praise for his improved work ethic.
The Browns are one of nine NFL teams that can be forced to appear onto the show this summer (the Titans, Texans, Jaguars, Buccaneers, Giants, Redskins, Rams and Vikings are the other eight teams).
The other 23 NFL teams have the ability to opt out because they either have a first-year head coach, have appeared on the show within the last decade or have made the playoffs within the past two seasons.
Though one team is required to participate in the show every year (a rule that went into effect in 2013), NFL Films, which produces the series, doesn’t want an unwilling participant and is expected to grant Cleveland’s wish.
Seven different NFL teams have been featured in the annual sports-based reality series — the Ravens (2001), Cowboys (2002, 2008), Chiefs (2007), Bengals (2009, 2013), Jets (2010), Dolphins (2012) and Falcons (2014).
If the Texans end up on the show, the main storylines would presumably be centered around superstars J.J. Watt and Arian Foster, as well as the quarterback battle between Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer, the health status (and emergence) of Jadeveon Clowney and Brian Cushing and the post-Andre Johnson ascension of DeAndre Hopkins.
Check out a series of interesting videos below related to the Houston Texans.
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