The Lions are one of five teams that can be featured on 'Hard Knocks' this summer, and rumors have been swirling of late that they might get the call.
If that's the case, Matt Patricia isn't among those in the know.
"I have no information," Patricia said Tuesday as the Lions opened minicamp. "I've been told absolutely nothing as far as that's concerned. The organization has been told nothing as far as that's concerned."
An announcement from the NFL and HBO is expected soon. Also eligible to be selected for the all-access show this year are the Giants, Raiders, 49ers and Redskins.
Both Patricia and GM Bob Quinn have done their best this offseason to politely suggest the cameras should follow someone else. As Patricia quipped back in February, "I think Jon Gruden is an excellent choice for that show. I think the Oakland Raiders and everything they've got going on right now would be fantastic viewing for everybody to watch."
On Tuesday, though, Patricia seemed a tad more open to the idea.
"You know what? I think I've said it before, too, I think like all of us, we fell in love with the game through NFL Films. I love those clips. As a young guy falling in love with the game, I understand the history of it and how important it all is," Patricia said. "Can't say enough about the great job that they do at NFL Films.
"As far as we're concerned, though, we control what we control and we just go forward."
The last time it took this long for a team to be selected for 'Hard Knocks' was 2014, when the Falcons were announced on June 14. As for why the decision has dragged on this year, it's hard to say.
Announcement dates for "Hard Knocks" in recent years2012: Dolphins (5/29)2013: Bengals (6/15)2014: Falcons (6/12)2015: Texans (5/27)2016: Rams (3/23)2017: Bucs (4/19)2018: Browns (5/17)I was surprised team hadn't been announced yet, but 2 announced in June in recent yrs
— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) June 3, 2019If the Lions are indeed chosen, Patricia said he's not sure if he'd alter his training camp regimen.
"It's a great question. I'm not in that situation currently, so I don't really have a great answer for you. We'll figure it out when it happens. At that point, I would probably reach out to some of the coaches that have been on that before and see what they think," he said.
Either way, it's pretty safe to say Patricia won't be tuning in.
"Personally, I haven't watched any 'Hard Knocks'. Not one ounce of it," he said. "During training camp, you're just so solely focused on what you're trying to do."
