Aaron Rodgers, Jets Selected to Be on 'Hard Knocks'; Debuts August 8 on Max

Aaron Rodgers' first season with the New York Jets is going to be one of the biggest storylines in the NFL, so it's natural the league would want to feature their preparation for the 2023 campaign on television as much as possible.

The NFL announced the Jets will be featured on the new season of Hard Knocks. The first episode premieres on August 8 on HBO and Max.

Teams are exempt from appearing on Hard Knocks if they have a first-year head coach, made the playoffs in either of the past two seasons or were on the show within the past 10 years.

The Jets, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints and Washington Commanders were the four teams that met the eligibility requirements this year if no other team volunteered to be on Hard Knocks.

From that group, the Jets are by far the most compelling. Rodgers can be a polarizing figure, but he's undeniably one of the most captivating personalities in the NFL. He's also one of the best quarterbacks in league history joining a franchise that doesn't have a great track record of success at the position.

Even in a down year by his standards, Rodgers' 3,695 passing yards with the Green Bay Packers in 2022 would have been the fifth-most in a season in Jets' history. His 26 touchdowns would have tied for the third-most.

When you combine the addition of Rodgers with a team that features reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson at wide receiver and Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner at cornerback, plus head coach Robert Saleh entering a critical year after back-to-back losing seasons, there is no shortage of storylines to keep track of in New York throughout training camp and the preseason.

If the Jets are looking for a reason to be happy about being featured on Hard Knocks, they were last on the show was in 2010. They finished 11-5 and advanced to the AFC Championship Game that season.

That season is the last time the Jets made the playoffs. They are the only team in the NFL with an active playoff drought of 10 or more years.