Kyler Murray, Cardinals to Be Featured on HBO's Hard Knocks for 2022 Season

The NFL announced Monday that the Arizona Cardinals will feature on the in-season version of HBO's Hard Knocks in 2022.

Last year, the Indianapolis Colts were the first team to feature in a midseason version of the popular documentary series, which has traditionally followed NFL teams during summer training camps. 

"Last season Hard Knocks made an unprecedented leap, documenting an NFL regular season in real time for the first time ever with the Indianapolis Colts," NFL Films Vice President and Senior Coordinating Producer Keith Cossrow said in a statement. "This season, we are eager to build on that success and go even further with one of the most exciting teams in the NFL. We can't wait to get to work in Arizona."

The Cardinals would have been fascinating to follow in 2021. They started the year 7-0 and looked like one of the NFL's most dangerous teams, only to drop six of their next 10 games before a Wild Card Round loss to the eventual champion Los Angeles Rams.

A bizarre offseason with quarterback Kyler Murray followed that called into question whether the dynamic young star might want a change in scenery, though those notions have been put to rest.

The Cardinals should be an intriguing team to follow. They are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. Kliff Kingsbury's exciting offense features playmakers like DeAndre Hopkins—once he returns from a six-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs—Marquise Brown and James Conner.

Future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt and young linebacker Isaiah Simmons lead a defense looking to move on without edge-rusher Chandler Jones, who took his 10.5 sacks last season to the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency. 

As for the preseason Hard Knocks, this year's edition will feature the rebuilding Detroit Lions. They won just three games last year—a fourth straight losing season for the franchise—but have a growing collection of young talent like rookies Aidan Hutchinson and Jameson Williams to go along with last year's impressive rookie wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown. 

One of the main questions in Detroit is whether quarterback Jared Goff is a long-term option or a short-term patch. That should be asked and examined during HBO's documentary this summer.