How to watch Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants

Hard Knocks is back for its 22nd season, and fans of the show that gives NFL lovers an inside look at the sport will get to see something they’ve never seen before. This season of Hard Knocks, which focuses on the New York Giants, will look at how the team navigates the offseason. It is the first season that doesn’t take place during either the NFL preseason or regular season.

This new version of Hard Knocks will take a look at what goes into roster building. Fans will get an in-depth look at free agency, the NFL Draft, and all the nuances that come with crafting the perfect 53-man roster. The first episode has already premiered, but we will catch you up on everything that you need to know in order to watch the rest of the season.

What will ‘Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants’ be about?

Everyone loves the actual NFL season itself. The reason the sport exists is so teams can battle it out on the gridiron. However, the offseason has grown in popularity in recent seasons. NFL events like the NFL Draft and free agency have become highly publicized by the media and highly analyzed by the NFL fandom.

Even so, for the most part, fans have been left out of the loop for offseason specifics. That changes with the release of the newest season of Hard Knocks. Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants is the first iteration of Hard Knocks to follow a team during the offseason.

The team under the microscope is one of the biggest and most prestigious teams in the NFL. That will of course be the New York Giants. Hard Knocks will get up close and personal with the New York football team during a special time; the offseason prior to the franchise’s 100th season in the NFL.

The camera crew will follow the Giants’ front office, namely Joe Schoen, the team’s general manager and personnel decision-maker. This is Schoen’s third season with the Giants, who have also now employed Brian Daboll as their head coach for that long, too.

The three-year tenure by the general manager and head coach is the most stability the team has had since Tom Coughlin was the team’s head coach, but a lot of big moves were made during the offseason. Hard Knocks will cover them all. Notably, New York lost Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney in free agency.

Barkley has been the team’s star offensive player for years. The running back was drafted second overall in 2018, making him one of the last running backs drafted near the top of the draft. Barkley’s talent was evident from day one in New York, but the running back often dealt with injuries during his time with the Giants. Even so, his immense talent made him a fan favorite, and it pained Giants fans that he left the team for the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles.

McKinney was an equally painful loss for the team. The safety was arguably New York’s best player in the defensive secondary, and he was one of the best up-and-coming young players in the NFL prior to bolting to the Green Bay Packers in free agency.

The NFL is a business, and losing and/or getting rid of talented and beloved players is a part of the game. Replacing these players is the key, though, and Hard Knocks shows just how the Giants did that.

The team was praised for a draft class that includes Malik Nabers and Tyler Nubin, the latter of which will likely take over McKinney’s role. The team even made a blockbuster trade for Brian Burns that will fortify their front seven for years to come.

New York’s offseason even included the dramatic retirement of Darren Waller, so there will be plenty of content to catch up on. Plus, Hard Knocks will have access to tons of Giants’ content that would be unbeknownst to fans if it wasn’t for the exclusive coverage of the team.

How to watch Hard Knocks

Hard Knocks airs exclusively on HBO. It is filmed by HBO Sports and NFL Films. Episode one is already out, but you can catch each succeeding episode on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET through July 30. You can stream the show on Max.

The series has five episodes. Episode one, which comes off the heels of a six-win season, takes a look at the Giants’ decision to prioritize paying their quarterback, Daniel Jones, over their star running back. The coming season is a make-or-break season for the signal-caller. Episode one also takes a look at New York’s search for a defensive coordinator, which concluded with the team settling on Shane Bowen to man the defense.

With episode one already in the books, you won’t want to miss any more of the action. So tune in to HBO or Max to watch the rest of ‘Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants.’