Robert Saleh is wearing his “Hard Knocks” feelings on his sleeve — well, on his shirt, at the very least.
The Jets head coach arrived on the team facility in Florham Park on Thursday wearing a black shirt that read, “I [heart] H.K.,” one week after the team was chosen to be featured on the HBO docu-series after previous pushback against the thought.
“We’re high quality,” Saleh said during a Thursday morning press conference.
“We’ve been doing ‘One Jets Drive’ the last couple years, so, just talking with Hard Knocks, they’ve got an important group of people who find themselves working with us. We expressed a few of our concerns, and so they’ve answered it. It’s been no different than ‘One Jets Drive.’”
“One Jets Drive” is a documentary filmed and produced by the Jets that provides a behind-the-scenes have a look at the team.
Prior to the beginning of coaching camp, Saleh was reluctant to have the Jets take center stage within the annual HBO series, which chronicles NFL teams readying for the upcoming season.
“I do know there are several teams that will love for Hard Knocks to be of their constructing,” Saleh said. “We are usually not one among them.”
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers echoed his coach, saying of the Hard Knocks appearance, “They forced it down our throats.”
Though this season of “Hard Knocks” is being hyped as must-watch TV, the Jets have made it clear to HBO that they won’t be allowed to document every thing the team goes through this offseason. Roster cuts, specifically, won’t be filmed.
“‘Hard Knocks’ won’t be the identical. They’re not going to be given the identical access,” Adam Schefter said on Monday’s episode of ESPN’s “Get Up.”
“The Jets don’t imagine it’s humane to point out players being released.”
Despite being obligated to be a component of “Hard Knocks,” there’s loads of buzz around these Jets.
The team enters the 2023 season with championship expectations following the blockbuster trade for Rodgers in April, joining a roster with budding superstars Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner, the reigning Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Yr.
“Hard Knocks” premieres on Tuesday, Aug. 8.
With additional reporting by Ryan Dunleavy
