The AFC North is ready for its close-up.
The division best known for heated rivalries and star quarterbacks will be featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” TV series this season. It’s the first time the Emmy Award-winning series has chronicled an entire division.
Last season, the AFC North’s four teams — the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers — all finished with winning records.
With QBs Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson, who signed with Pittsburgh after being released by the Denver Broncos in the offseason, there are plenty of storylines in the North along with a reputation for tight, testy games.
“Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North” will debut on Dec. 3 and run through the rest of the regular season and playoffs.
Jackson is coming off a second MVP win, but came up short of a first Super Bowl trip. Burrow played just 10 games last season before undergoing wrist surgery. Watson is entering a make-or-break third season in Cleveland, and Wilson is hoping to restart his career with Justin Fields in his shadow.
The Ravens were the first team featured on the original “Hard Knocks” in 2001. The Bengals’ training camp was featured in 2009 and 2013, and the Browns in 2018.
This will be the Steelers’ first appearance on the popular show that takes fans deep inside the locker room, huddle and inner workings of NFL teams.
The series has expanded to highlight the league’s offseason, training camp, regular season and postseason. The New York Giants’ offseason will be the first chronicled, and the Chicago Bears will be featured in the flagship training camp show as they try to break in rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft.
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Reporting by The Associated Press.
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