Super Bowl champs Seahawks and Patriots will be next two Hard Knocks teams

THE defending Super Bowl LX champion Seattle Seahawks and runner-up New England Patriots will be the next two HBO’s Hard Knocks teams – but several others were brutally snubbed.

The Seahawks will be featured in this summer’s Hard Knocks, followed by the Patriots on the program’s training camp edition in 2027.

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Seattle Seahawks star quarterback pressured by Harold Landry of the New England Patriots i n Super Bowl LXCredit: Getty

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald celebrates with the Lombardi Trophy after a 29-13 win over the Patriots in FebruaryCredit: AP

This will be the first team since Hard Knocks first launched in 2001 that the show will feature a reigning Super Bowl champion.

And there have been mixed reactions to the 2026 and 2027 selections.

The Seahawks are fresh off winning Super Bowl 60 and have had an interesting offseason.

They signed Jaxon Smith-Njigba to the largest-ever contract for a wide receiver while seeing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, Bofa Maye, Riq Woolen, and others leave in free agency.

Seattle also has to manage the loss of former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who is now the Las Vegas Raiders head coach.

The Patriots, meanwhile, are led by the high-demanding head coach Mike Vrabel and star quarterback Drake Maye, as the team appears poised to contend for years to come.

But fans haven’t been impressed with both picks, with plenty preferring a drama-filled team with playoff hopes than two teams that have just been in the Super Bowl.

“I can’t really imagine the Seahawks or the pats having much drama. Both have established coaches and QB’s,” one fan said on X.

“From the least interesting Super Bowl of all time to the least interesting Hard Knocks of all time,” another fan commented.

Here are three teams who could’ve been picked for this year’s Hard Knocks.

Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell stands on the sidelines during a playoff game in January 2025Credit: Getty

The Minnesota Vikings were a prime candidate to be featured on Hard Knocks.

They have the league’s highest-profile quarterback competition this offseason.

Newly acquired Kyler Murray will battle for the starting job with J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz as the Vikings look to return to the playoffs after missing out last season.

Minnesota will hire a new general manager soon after the team stunningly fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in January.

The Vikings also happen to have superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson on their squad.

Minnesota are just two years removed from a 14-win season, making them a bounce-back candidate for 2026.

Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce after a win over the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022Credit: Getty

There are endless storylines regarding the Chiefs for the upcoming season.

For starters, Travis Kelce will likely playing the final season of his career.

Patrick Mahomes is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last December and has a chance of returning for Week 1.

The Chiefs are coming off a disappointing 6-11 season in which they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

Kansas City have new faces, including Super Bowl MVP Walker, but also saw key players depart in the offseason, including stars Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Isiah Pacheco.

And the Chiefs are hoping to win its fourth Super Bowl under Andy Reid.

It’s safe to say ratings would’ve gone through the roof if they were picked.

Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles star quarterback Jalen Hurts hands the ball off to running back Saquon Barkley during a December 2025 gameCredit: AP

Like the Chiefs, the Eagles are coming off an underwhelming season after playing in Super Bowl 59.

And Philly has no shortage of storylines, too, from trade rumors concerning AJ Brown to recent reports of friction inside the Eagles with Jalen Hurts.

The Eagles were featured in last year’s Hard Knocks in-season edition so that might’ve been a factor in the team not being featured this summer or 2027.

But they were still eligible to be picked, and the Eagles are in one of the major sports markets.

Philly also has plenty of personality, with owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman, and head coach Nick Sirianni leading the charge.