Bill Belichick’s North Carolina program will not be the featured team on HBO’s upcoming offseason version of “Hard Knocks,” an NFL Media spokesperson told CBS Sports on Tuesday.
That comes on the heels of reports circling last week that NFL Films would feature Belichick and the Tar Heels. Reports, however, swirled that some league owners were not pleased that the NFL-owned platform would showcase Belichick.
“NFL Films had discussions with Coach Belichick and UNC about appearing on Hard Knocks this offseason but couldn’t reach an agreement,” an NFL Media spokesperson told CBS Sports.
The decision to attempt to turn to Belichick, an NFL head coach for 29 seasons with the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots, came after no NFL team would agree to sign on, per a report Friday from Front Office Sports.
The New York Giants were featured last season, and it’s the filmed conversations that general manager Joe Schoen had regarding the future of free-agent running back Saquon Barkley that reportedly caused teams to shy away.
Barkley wound up signing with NFC East rival Philadelphia and led the Eagles to a Super Bowl LIX championship last month in New Orleans. In the regular season, he gained 2,283 yards from scrimmage and scored 15 touchdowns.
Barkley broke the NFL single-season rushing record, postseason included, with 2,504 yards. Terrell Davis had held the mark since 1998.
Belichick, who won six Super Bowl trophies with the Patriots, never has appeared on “Hard Knocks.”
–Field Level Media
