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Report: Rams, Chargers Planned for HBO's 'Hard Knocks' for 2020 Training Camp
April 7, 2020
HBO's Hard Knocks is reportedly planning to follow both the Los Angeles Chargers and Rams for 2020 training camp, provided it is not canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the league wants to "supersize" Hard Knocks and follow both Los Angeles-based teams as they prepare to open SoFi Stadium this year. No announcement has been made because of the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.
The Rams and Chargers both provide interesting storyline dynamics that would make for compelling television.
Both teams were among the NFL's biggest disappointments in 2019, failing to make the playoffs amid preseason Super Bowl expectations.
Sean McVay went from wunderkind to having the league figure out his offensive scheme. Jared Goff went from promising young quarterback to one of the worst starters in football. And Todd Gurley's 2019 was so injury-riddled and frustrating that the Rams chose to take a massive cap hit and cut him this offseason. That's all without mentioning the arrival of Jalen Ramsey, who cost the Rams two first-round picks when their pick cupboard was already bare.
The Rams will enter 2020 with a top-heavy roster that's clearly built to contend for titles but is simultaneously just the third-most talented team in its own division.
The Chargers are in the midst of a retooling of their own, having allowed longtime quarterback Philip Rivers to walk in free agency. Tyrod Taylor is slotted in on paper as their starter, but that's not expected to stick. Taylor will likely either be a stopgap for a young quarterback selected in April's draft or compete with another veteran, such as Cam Newton or Jameis Winston.
Training camp itself is mired in uncertainty as the nation deals with the coronavirus pandemic, which already forced the NFL to hold a virtual draft and cancel its annual league meetings.