The Cleveland Browns are known as one of the laughing stock organizations in the NFL. Although the narrative is that this team saved Shedeur Sanders from the humiliation of not being drafted, there are few players who would volunteer to pad up for Cleveland. Just keeping it real.
The Browns are never a team that gets the headlines or has the elite impactful offensive players that captivate fans.
So the fact that Shedeur Sanders will not be appearing on HBO’s award-winning show, “Hard Knocks” under the NFL’s current rules is a huge L for the team’s marketing campaign. Also for the league.
If not for Shedeur Sanders people wouldn’t even be mentioning Cleveland. They never do any other time. But because Deion Sanders’ son was so polarizing and has had millions of fans since he was a boy on his dad’s reality show, everyone was invested in his bizarre draft drop.
If anyone is going to watch a ‘Hard Knocks’ on the Cleveland Browns, they would probably want to see the most popular talent on the team and a guy who was the talk of the sports world for three days and continues to be spoken about as I write this article.
For some reason, rookie quarterback’s are banned from the popular HBO show in 2025. So we won’t see Shedeur’s pre-season journey on that particular show.
Why Won’t Shedeur Sanders & Cleveland Be on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” ?
‘Hard Knocks’ has been running since 2001 and cameras usually follow one team through training camp and pre-season – but Cleveland won’t get that opportunity.
The criteria for appearing on the show has become more strict in recent years. Owners want to share the wealth of coverage for what has become a must-see HBO sports offering. Under the new rules agreed to by NFL teams, up to 20 teams are currently eligible to be featured at any given time.
Cleveland Browns Not Eligible For “Hard Knocks”
The Cleveland Browns, who were featured on the show in 2018, do not appear on the list of teams that could have the HBO cameras in their building because they are one of the teams that have been featured in the last eight seasons and those teams are ineligible. According to reports, any team with a first-year head coach is also ineligible.
Cleveland did feature on the show in 2024 in some capacity when the in-season show followed the entire AFC North division. But that appearance doesn’t rule any AFC North team out of appearing in the training camp version this summer.
Among the eligible teams, the NFL’s most likely choices reportedly are the Eagles, Giants, Commanders, 49ers, Packers or Vikings. The AFC’s list includes the Bills, Dolphins, Ravens, Bengals and Steelers and others.
Shedeur Sanders Would Make Hard Knocks a Home Run
Sanders of course was born for the cameras and has been used to them his entire life. His Dad, Deion stayed in the spotlight and taught his kids how to excel and stay out of trouble despite the fame and pressure of being his children. Deion also kept his kids close during his journey, coaching both Shilo and Shedeur throughout their college careers. Shedeur’s celebrity off the field would have provided plenty of entertainment if they were eligible for ‘Hard Knocks.’
Cleveland Browns Quarterback Room Battle
Their quarterback room alone is a crazy story with plenty of intrigue.
One fan on X said: “We The People Deserve The Browns On Hardknocks this year solely for their QB room.”
DeShaun Watson was supposed to be the savior of this franchise. Finally an A-1 quarterback to help them get to the Super Bowl. He’s been a mess and will miss the entire 2025 season, rehabbing a re-ruptured Achilles tendon, which he initially tore in October 2024. He had surgery to repair the original tear, but later re-ruptured the tendon. He got another surgical procedure done in January 2025.
Former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco, 40, is competing for the starting spot but he’s almost ready to collect social security and is a hard hit from retiring for good.
Kenny Pickett and third round rookie pick Dillon Gabriel are backups at best. It would have been an NFL gold mine to feature Shedeur and how he navigates that crowded QB room for ‘Hard Knocks’.
Clearly that’s what everyone wants to see considering how invested the sports world was in either proving that Shedeur got snubbed or proving that he wasn’t really that good in the first place.
NFL should have changed the entire rule, capitalized on the moment and what will continue to be the biggest story in football.
