The Washington Commanders are going to get plenty of air time this season with 10 games airing in windows that feature peak viewing opportunities.
After jumping from four to 12 wins in 2024, and with Jayden Daniels quarterbacking the Commanders along the way, it seems the NFL can't get enough of the rejuvinated franchise once left for dead at the bottom of the league's heirarchy.
With five primetime games, a historic bout in Spain, and a Christmas Day classic clash between Washington and the Dallas Cowboys, there are two other opportunities for the league to get its new favorite team in front of the cameras, and they might just take one of them.
Making the case for the Commanders to be featured on the Hard Knocks: Training Camp series, Sports Illustrated's Mike Kadlik wrote, "Daniels ran away with the 2024 NFL (Offensive) Rookie of the Year (Award) last season thanks to a 12-5 record and an appearance in the NFC Championship Game, and now has everyone in the D.C. area fired up for what's to come with the Commanders.
"Add in trades for Deebo Samuel, Laremy Tunsil, and owner Josh Harris leading the charge on a new stadium being built at the old RFK site, and there's a clear upward trajectory...They deserve to be at the NFL's center stage."
Albert Breer shared this offseason that the league had relaxed the requirements needed for a team to be featured on the show. Now, as long as Washington doesn't have a first-year head coach, is not part of Hard Knocks: In-Season in the current or most recently past season, hasn't been on the training camp series in at least eight seasons, then it can either volunteer to be on the show, or be 'voluntold'.
Previous to this new update, teams that made the playoffs in the previous season also could not be compelled as the league was hoping to rely on volunteering teams instead of forcing them.
In addition to this change, the league also provided clarification that each of the NFL divisions would be featured on the in-season version of the behind-the-scenes show once every eight years, and that all teams in that division would be required to participate.
With the NFC East boasting the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, the Commanders who will make history this year as part of the league's first-ever regular season game in Madrid, Spain, and the Cowboys who always draw a strong crowd of fans and haters, it would make a lot of sense for it to be the division of choice this year.
Last year's in-season version of the show followed the AFC North and showcased the division's final six weeks of play. If the league, HBO, and NFL Films followed that same format, then we wouldn't see any of the Spain trip highlighted in full, but would pick up with Washington following its Week 12 bye week for a final stretch that includes facing the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, the Eagles twice, and Dallas on Christmas Day.
That alone would provide some must-see TV, and that's before you even get a glimpse of what the rest of the division has going on.
In addition to those Commanders highlights, a Week 17 matchup between Philadelphia and the Buffalo Bills would make for good television as well. Interestingly enough, the AFC West would also appear frequently having several matchups against NFC East teams in the final six weeks, and may perhaps be setting up a future run for that division, in 2026.
Either way, Washington fans are going to see plenty of their favorite team this year, and they may get even more, thanks to HBO's Hard Knocks series this summer, or this season.
