Lights, Camera, Lombardi: Seahawks Set to Star on Hard Knocks as Title Defense Begins

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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and offensive coordinator Brian Fleury during minicamp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images [/caption]

‍The show Hard Knocks has been a staple for football fans since its inception in 2001. Narrated by Liev Schreiber, the sights and sounds of that show welcome football fans to another season in the NFL. They typically cover a team’s training camp and the team's preparation for the upcoming football season. It’s enjoyable for fans to learn about some of the lower-level players on the roster and root for underdog stories. It typically highlights players fighting to make the roster or battle to become a starter.

Opening camp this upcoming weekend, the Seattle Seahawks will become the first reigning Super Bowl champs to be featured on the show since its inaugural year covering the Baltimore Ravens ahead of their title defense in 2001. The recent trade of the show had been a rebuilding team trying to find its footing, with franchises like the Bears and Jets, or a team right on the cusp of greatness like the Buffalo Bills last summer.

Previously, the Seahawks had been asked to be part of the show in 2013, but declined. The NFL now has the power to select a team to be part of Hard Knocks. Essentially, “volun-telling” them instead of waiting for a volunteer. Certainly, the Seahawks will bring eyeballs to the show as the reigning Super Bowl champions.

The first episode of this season’s edition is set to drop on Tuesday, August 4, 2026 at 6 PM PT.

The reigning champions prepare to defend their title run on Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks.

Premieres Tuesday, August 4 at 9pm on HBO Max. pic.twitter.com/wqtMwiFbYf— NFL (@NFL) July 21, 2026

What will be the biggest storylines? Sam Darnold is certainly one of the most fascinating quarterbacks in the NFL. He went from first round bust with the Jets, to journeyman, to winning 14 regular-season games in back-to-back seasons and now is a Super Bowl champion.

‍The rookie class is always a hit feature on the show as well. This year’s crop of new Seahawks will be no different, especially with the personalities at play. Along with the intrigue of first round running back Jadarian Price, the other two picks in the first two days of the draft - safety Bud Clark and cornerback Julian Neal - will offer plenty of juice. Those three rooks undoubtedly will be heavily featured in their first training camps.

Many personalities will likely shine through the camera. Tight end AJ Barner had his Kodak moment in the Super Bowl, catching the Seahawks’ lone offensive touchdown. If they handed out an MVP for the Super Bowl parade, the hardware would have gone to the former Wolverine as well. He’s got a big personality and a bigger, brighter future as the Seahawks’ main tight end.

On defense, there is no shortage of colorful personalities that fans will love on screen. Leonard Williams, Devon Witherspoon, and Ernest Jones IV certainly come to mind. Perhaps a few unheralded stars will emerge on that front as well with the cameras filming everything on the practice field.

Seahawks fans get to see their team covered like never before. And what a time it is for those fans, fresh off of a Super Bowl title, to experience the occasion.