Finally, a team truly worth watching will appear on Hard Knocks. The Buffalo Bills will headline HBO’s iconic sports reality documentary this year. While HBO will also feature the entire NFC East, the spotlight will be on the AFC East champions, who become the first playoff contenders to willingly participate in the series. There is another big reason for the spotlight.
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Reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen will bring his star power to the show. His celebrity status has expanded its horizon since he announced his engagement to Hollywood actress Hailee Steinfeld.
NFL Network host Rich Eisen believes the “Hailee factor” played a role in HBO’s decision to feature the Bills. His colleague, TJ Jefferson, agreed, suggesting that HBO saw an opportunity to capitalize on Steinfeld’s Hollywood fame.
From a television and marketing perspective, it’s hard to ignore the potential draw of a star quarterback and his celebrity fiancée. However, not everyone on the panel was convinced.
Analyst Chris Brockman pushed back on the idea, arguing that Hailee had nothing to do with the Bills landing on Hard Knocks. He pointed out that she won’t be at training camp — and the show won’t be covering her wedding to Allen either.
Reports indicate that Josh and Hailee plan to get married at the end of May, likely on the 31st. Meanwhile, the Bills’ training camp won’t begin until August.
Still, fans have wondered whether NFL Films might find a way to cover the wedding reception or reference it in the show’s storyline. Eisen doesn’t think so.
“I don’t think that will be part of Hard Knocks. I don’t think NFL films cameras will be invited,” said Eisen.
NFL Films has previously covered the weddings of former players like New England Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux and linebacker Nicholas Barnett. But capturing the wedding of a superstar and league MVP like Allen would be a whole new level — a rare opportunity to document a milestone in the life of one of the NFL’s biggest names.
Allen’s relationship with actress Steinfeld began in May 2023, shortly after his split from longtime girlfriend Brittany Williams. The couple was spotted together several times in New York that month, sparking relationship rumors.
As things progressed, fans noticed Hailee bonding with Josh’s family. She was seen shopping with his mother at the Buffalo Shop in Aurora.
Their relationship became more public over the course of a year, and by February 2024, Allen confirmed the romance with an Instagram post. Just a few months later, in November, he proposed in a romantic sunset setting. The couple made their red carpet debut three months after the engagement.
Steinfeld was right by Allen’s side when he earned MVP honors for the first time in his career, a crowning moment in both his personal and professional life.
While a beautiful ceremony is expected, many believe it would not be a grand spectacle. Allen and Steinfeld have kept their relationship relatively private, and their wedding is likely to reflect that same low-key, intimate energy — meaningful, but not over-the-top.
