Getty Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott
The Dallas Cowboys are returning to the silver screen.
For a record third time, the Cowboys will appear on HBO’s hit docuseries Hard Knocks, with the team’s 2021 outfit to be chronicled amid next month’s preseason, NFL Films announced Friday.
“The Cowboys are one of the most storied franchises in NFL history and a team that elicits strong reactions from fans around the world,” Ken Rodgers, vice president and senior coordinating producer at NFL Films, said in a statement, per NFL.com. “Tens of millions of fans love them, but just as many people love to hate them. Either way, when the Cowboys show up people watch, which makes them perfect for Hard Knocks. This year, their high-profile status as ‘America’s Team’ is paired with uniquely interesting storylines. We can’t thank [Jerry] Jones and [Mike] McCarthy enough for letting us tell the story behind what we hope is the beginning of an exciting year in Dallas.”
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Providing unprecedented behind-the-scenes access, Hard Knocks will take Cowboys fans through the height of training camp, the exhibition period, and final roster cuts — right up to the regular-season opener at Tampa.
The show, in its 16th year, is scheduled to debut on Tuesday, Aug. 10 at 9 p.m. CT., following the club’s Hall of Fame Game against Pittsburgh, and run for five consecutive weeks until Sept. 7.
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What To Watch For
Cowboys Nation will have plenty to visually feast on. Mike McCarthy and Co. are attempting to right the ship after last season’s disappointing 6-10 record, and fans can look forward to never-seen-before practice coverage from Oxnard, Calif., site of training camp, as well as The Star in Frisco.
In terms of individual storylines, the club’s star talent — Ezekiel Elliott, DeMarcus Lawrence, Micah Parsons, etc. — is sure to keep HBO’s cameras busy and social media aflame.
But no storyline is bigger or more captivating than franchise quarterback Dak Prescott’s comeback from a devastating ankle injury that cut short his 2020 campaign. Prescott, now the richest player in Cowboys history, is primed to headline the show, per NFL.com’s Nick Shook.
“Prescott returns to the field to lead the Cowboys following his gruesome ankle injury suffered in a season in which he was playing under the franchise tag. The uncertainty of his future was addressed by his four-year, $160 million deal signed in early March, but the allure doesn’t stop there,” Shook wrote. “Prescott’s new deal places him among the league’s highest earners, and after his 2020 absence seemed to show everyone his immense value to the Cowboys, it’s time for the quarterback to prove what we deduced is actually true. With a healthy Prescott, the Cowboys should be a contender. And with a receiving corps that includes Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and second-year standout CeeDee Lamb — expect Lamb to also receive the profile treatment — Dallas’ ceiling should be pretty high. The biggest remaining question: Can Prescott return to a form that earned him his lavish deal? And can he prove he’s healthy enough to hit the ground running when training camp begins?”
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL