Get your 🍿 ready@HBOMax | #HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/YPT4UnrQja
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) March 28, 2022
This is cool: the upcoming season of Hard Knocks on HBO will focus on the upstart Detroit Lions, a feisty squad led by a couple of former New Orleans Saints assistant coaches. Lions head coach Dan Campbell previously coached tight ends in New Orleans, and he brought former Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn with him to work as Detroit’s defensive coordinator. Both men are known as charismatic figures around the NFL, and they figure to get plenty of screen time in front of HBO’s cameras.
There are also a few former Saints players on the Lions roster who could stand out. Linebacker Alex Anzalone, a 2017 draft pick by New Orleans, followed Campbell and Glenn to Detroit and logged a career-high 828 defensive snaps after an injury-plagued start to his career. He recently re-signed with the Lions for the 2022 season, and will be joined by tight end Garrett Griffin, who Detroit picked up early in free agency. Griffin was coached up by Campbell in New Orleans.
Additionally, the Lions brought in ex-Saints kicker Aldrick Rosas, who connected on 1 of 4 field goal tries with New Orleans (successfully kicking all 13 of his extra point attempts) before he was released last season. Rosas sent his lone field goal cleanly through the uprights for Detroit from 43 yards out and made his only extra-point try in 2021, so he’ll be in the mix with other Lions kickers Riley Patterson (13-of-14 on field goals, 16-for-16 on extra points last year) and Austin Seibert (10-of-12 on field goals and 5-for-5 on extra points). So that’s shaping up for a training camp kicker competition.
HBO will begin to air the new season of Hard Knocks on Tuesday, Aug. 9. Weekly hour-long episodes will continue through the season finale on Sept. 6, following the Lions’ path through training camp, preseason exhibition games, and the daunting task of final roster cuts before the NFL regular season kicks off.
