NFL Films and HBO will feature the Buffalo Bills this summer, with the team’s offseason regimen the focus of the latest training camp edition of “Hard Knocks.” That means St. John Fisher University will be all the buzz in July and August as production crews and cameras seek to capture every moment of action on the field and around campus.

The NFL has changed the rules for 2025, modifying the system by which they pick the ‘Hard Knocks’ teams. Previously, if a team made the playoffs the previous season, they were exempted from participating in the behind-the-scenes show. That would have meant no Buffalo Bills in 2025.

Now the only way to keep your team off the show is to have a first-year head coach. Teams are exempted from the show if they were on in the previous eight seasons.

Perhaps due to the fact that all the teams that have previously been on the show missed the playoffs the previous season, no team featured on “Hard Knocks” has gone on to win a Super Bowl in that same season.

The Bills’ training camp schedule has not been announced at this point, but the first episode will air August 5. For those fans who have never been able to attend Bills training camp, they’ll finally be able to get a closer look at what happens on the fields of SJF each summer — provided they have HBO Max.

What is ‘Hard Knocks’ on HBO and HBO Max?

If you’re new to “Hard Knocks,” it’s a sports-focused reality documentary series that intimately follows one team around in preparation for the NFL regular season. Viewers are given an inside look at a team’s offseason program, which includes off-field negotiations, roster decisions, and more as cameras are inside meeting rooms and throughout the facility.

Expect HBO’s “Hard Knocks” with the Buffalo Bills to air beginning early in August, with episodes dropping weekly at 9 p.m. EDT (and re-airing at 11:11 p.m. EDT).

Why are the Bills on Hard Knocks in 2025?

Apart from reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen, what should Bills Mafia be on the lookout for with Buffalo’s “Hard Knocks” appearance? Depending on when filming begins, expect to see the camera focus on the Bills’ 2025 rookie class. With One Bills Drive looking to solve a need at outside cornerback, all eyes will be on cornerback Maxwell Hairston this summer to see how he progresses — and whether or not he presses returning cornerback Tre’Davious White for starting snaps early and often.

There’s also the continuing saga surrounding running back James Cook, who’s taken to social media several times advocating for a raise ahead of the 2025 NFL season. Cook has missed optional activities this offseason but is expected to at least be at training camp, and all signs point to him playing this season. However, in tandem with his brother Dalvin Cook, the younger Cook has used his voice to let people know what he believes his production is worth. How the “Hard Knocks” cameras handle this situation is likely to draw in viewers alone.

There’s also the always-engaging Dion Dawkins, who’s sure to be featured. Having been nominated multiple times for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, Dawkins’ philanthropic efforts are a good bet to be featured — especially his now-annual cornhole fundraiser. We may even get to learn more about Dawkins’ drifting interests — that is, drift racing.

Bills fans will for sure be watching to see how the wide receiver room shapes up this summer, and taking notes about the team’s defensive line work. Khalil Shakir is Allen’s favorite target, but the team could benefit from finding a new outside receiver. Is this the year that Keon Coleman breaks out?

But yes, Josh Allen is certain to be featured often. That may include a bit of camera time for actor and singer Hailee Steinfeld, who Allen proposed to late in 2024. The couple are set to marry on May 31, per Dawkins.

There’s also Allen’s new deal with Skydance Sports, LLC, which will see QB17 grow his brand through feature productions. On a related front are the pair of movies set to feature the Bills, one an exclusive Hallmark Channel holiday production.

Above all else, there’s the massive pressure over head coach Sean McDermott and general manager to win it all, and the world will be watching to see how they tackle that mountain this summer.