Pretty soon, HBO will debut a new season of in-season Hard Knocks with the NFC East, and New York Giants legend Eli Manning is “nervous” about it.
He expressed his concern in an interview with Yahoo Sports. Manning knows what happened last time, when the Giants were featured on the offseason Hard Knocks. It showed their falling out with Saquon Barkley. So, he is anxious to see what comes out of the mid-season version of the hit HBO show.
“I’m not sure what we’re finding,” he conceded, “I'm nervous about it. Last time Hard Knocks came, it wasn't great stuff with the offseason and everything going down with Saquon [Barkley]. I think the idea was, [It's the] offseason, we don’t want the distractions of the regular season [or] them being in training camp. This offseason thing sounds much better.
“You think about everything going down with Saquon, and contracts, and the possibility of him going to Philadelphia, then he does go to Philadelphia, and that’s the last thing you want, as a Giants player, is sending you’re best player to an in-division rival. But that's what makes the show fun and interesting,” Manning continued.
The Giants hope for better luck on Hard Knocks this time around
The upcoming season of Hard Knocks will premiere in December 2025. It will feature all four NFC East teams, including the Giants, and chronicle their 2025 season journeys.
This is the second Hard Knocks season to debut this year. In August, the Training Camp edition of the show debuted with the Buffalo Bills.
The Giants return to Hard Knocks after the disastrous 2024 offseason edition. That season showed their negotiations with Barkley, who would ultimately leave to join the Philadelphia Eagles. They won the Super Bowl in his first year with the team.
There will be no shortage of drama in the in-season Hard Knocks. The Giants may be 2-7, but they pivoted from veteran quarterback Russell Wilson to rookie Jaxson Dart in Week 4. While they upset the Los Angeles Chargers and Eagles with Dart, they have lost four games with him as well.
Now, the Giants are 2-7 and in last place in the NFC East. They will travel to Chicago to face the Bears in Week 10. Then, they have dates against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.
