This would have never happened under Bill Belichick.
It's a new day in Foxborough as the days of Bill Belichick keeping the doors locked and the walls up high from press and media getting a look behind the scenes at Gillette Stadium are over.
Reason being? The New England Patriots will appear on the highly popular sports documentary series Hard Knocks.
The news trickled out to the public on Monday night, after the NFL's annual league meeting, that the Patriots would appear on the show in 2027. Hard Knocks is a show produced by both NFL Films and HBO. The series takes a look at all the behind-the-scenes happenings of a professional football team from training camp to preseason.
It will be the first time the franchise has participated in the show. There have been some moments in the past when cameras were allowed within the organization for one-off documentaries about Super Bowl wins, but to this extent, it is very new for the Patriots.
Under the previous rules, which involved coaching changes and playoff appearances, the Patriots were not allowed to appear on Hard Knocks.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport broke the news Monday by also mentioning that the New England Patriots' Super Bowl LX opponent, the Seattle Seahawks, will appear on Hard Knocks this summer ahead of the 2026 regular season.
Despite not winning the Super Bowl last season, many, including Patriots owner Robert Kraft, felt it was still a success after a few years of disappointment.
"Last season was great," owner Robert Kraft told a group of reporters during the NFL annual meeting in Arizona this week. "I think actually the team way overachieved what any of us thought would happen. And it was wonderful. And winning that championship game in Denver, when we have such a past history of difficulty winning in Denver, it was very special, and I’m so proud of this team."
The Patriots being on the show next year also coincides with their brand-new training facility, sponsored by New Balance. The 60,000-foot facility will open this spring and will look great on screen by the time it's showcased on Hard Knocks next summer.
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