Chalk Talk: Are Bears eligible for ‘Hard Knocks?’

[Staley Da Bear]

Well, any team can volunteer to be on "Hard Knocks," but because most of them, including the Bears, would rather not have camera intrusively follow their every move during training camp, they choose not to participate. As a result, the NFL picks from a group of teams that 1) Do not have a first-year head coach; 2) Have not made the playoffs the past two seasons; and 3) Have not appeared on “Hard Knocks” the past 10 years. The Bears are exempt because they made the playoffs last year. There are five teams that fit the criteria for “Hard Knocks” this year: the Broncos, Cardinals, Lions, Jaguars and Steelers.