what Bears are eligible for following series for second consecutive offseason

Will the Bears finally be forced into the coveted offseason documentary?

The Bears can be cast in the 2024 offseason version of “Hard Knocks” for the second season in a row.

Not to remind you, teams who meet these three requirements are not required to perform: (1) they have a new head coach; (2) they have performed during the last ten years; and (3) they have made it to the playoffs in any of the previous two seasons.

The New Orleans Saints and the Denver Broncos are the other two teams who can play in addition to the Bears. The other two teams are made available for the show for the following reasons.

Dennis Smith has been the Saints’ head coach for two seasons; the team hasn’t made the playoffs since 2020; and the show has never featured the Saints. Sean Payton has only had the Broncos for one season as head coach; the team has never been on the show and hasn’t made the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl in 2015 (yikes).

It’s the same for the Bears. The Bears, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2020 and have never been on the show, confirmed this summer that they will continue to play for three seasons under head coach Matt Eberflus.

Technically, the Arizona Cardinals are also eligible for the documentary. The Cardinals haven’t made the playoffs since 2021 (three seasons ago), and head coach Jonathan Glennon has concluded his first season in the role. However, they cannot take part in the documentary again during the offseason because of their in-season participation in 2022.

Any of those teams can only be declared ineligible if they remove their present head coach and install a new one, making them eligible for the first exemption. If Hard Knocks shows up, would the Bears decide to reconsider their decision to keep Eberlfus? I’m kidding, but dreams are possible.

The Bears are still in the woods in any case. NFL teams typically have no desire to appear on the show. The majority of coaches would prefer not to take part because they think it distracts the team. While teams are welcome to volunteer, few actually do.

But if necessary, the league uses those previously indicated restrictions to compel qualified teams to appear on the broadcast. The documentary from the previous offseason may have been pressed onto the Bears. Nevertheless, the NFL decided to go with Aaron Rodgers and the Jets.

This season, the Bears’ narrative will go up against that of the uninteresting and unimpressive New Orleans Saints and the ascending Denver Broncos following their horrific 2022 campaign. Is that something the Bears can match?

It should be noted that the Bears themselves had no desire in playing during the previous season.

George McCaskey, the chairman of the Bears, stated in March 2023, “We feel there are a number of teams that have compelling stories to tell on ‘Hard Knocks.'”

Are the Bears included in that?

That was when McCaskey said, “Thirty-one others.”