Ravens to return to Hard Knocks as part of late season AFC North edition

For the first time since being the initial team to be featured on the inaugural season of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” docu-series in 2001, the Baltimore Ravens will be giving fans and spectators a behind-the-scenes look at their day-to-day operations, except this time it will be during the regular season.

On Monday, NFL Films and HBO announced that the entire AFC North will be the focus of an in-season edition of “Hard Knocks” towards the end of the 2024 regular season. The critically acclaimed and award-winning program is transitioning its approach by broadening its focus from one team to an entire division. The first episode will air on Dec. 3 and it will follow the Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers with new episodes every Tuesday through the end of the regular season and extend into the postseason in January 2025.

“Last season the AFC North became the first division ever to have all four teams finish with a winning record, making it the perfect place to launch this new approach to ‘Hard Knocks,’” NFL Films vice president and head of content Keith Cossrow said in a statement.

Nearly a quarter century ago, following the first Super Bowl winning season in franchise history, the Ravens were featured in the debut of “Hard Knocks” and set a strong tone that has yet to be matched. As the defending champions and with a roster loaded with iconic and gregarious personalities such as Ray Lewis, Shannon Sharpe, Tony Siragusa and Head Coach Brian Billick, the show was an instant and smashing success.

This year’s Ravens have star power and colorful personalities on both sides of the ball which should make for an excellent and exciting viewing experience. On offense, two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson and two-time All Pro running back Derrick Henry will be fun to follow. Second-year wide receiver Zay Flowers has star potential and emits a jovial personality at all times On defense, inside linebacker Roquan Smith could be this group’s Ray Lewis on and off the field and others with outgoing personalities who will entertain include outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and safeties Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams.

The other three teams that will be featured in the 2024 AFC North version of “Hard Knocks” will include former Pro Bowl quarterbacks Joe Burrow of the Bengals, Deshaun Watson of the Browns and Russell Wilson in his first season with the Steelers—assuming he is still the starter.

Two of the best, most quotable and longest-tenured head coaches in the league will be highlighted in this docuseries as well with John Harbaugh of the Ravens heading into his 17th season and Mike Tomlin of the Steelers entering his 18th season at the helm of their respective teams.

“We thank the Bengals, Browns, Ravens and Steelers for the opportunity to showcase some of the greatest rivalries in football and present the intensity of a playoff chase from all four corners of this incredibly competitive division,” Cossrow said.