"John Mara is having cold sweats" - NFL fans react to Giants featuring again on Hard Knocks for 2025 season

On Wednesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the New York Giants will appear on HBO's "Hard Knocks" for the second consecutive year. This time, as part of "Hard Knocks: In Season with the NFC East."

Many fans seemed particularly eager to watch the Giants face the spotlight again after their notorious Saquon Barkley saga played out on screen last year.

According to Giants Wire, the award-winning docuseries will debut on Tuesday in December on HBO and stream on Max. New episodes will air weekly through the end of the regular season and continue into the NFL playoffs in January 2026. The show will follow all four NFC East teams: the Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders.

Fans on social media are gleefully recalling the Giants' uncomfortable appearance on last year's offseason series

"John Mara is having cold sweats," wrote one fan on X, referencing the Giants co-owner's infamous quote from last year's offseason series when he told GM Joe Schoen: "I'll have a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia."

Another fan wrote: "BEST TELEVISION IN FOOTBALL …plus the giants…."

"Can't wait until Football is back," posted one fan.

More fan reactions started coming in:

"Welcome back Giants your on the spotlight again," added one fan.

"Yesss I'm so ready," wrote one fan.

Another simply noted "Interesting teams."

This marks the first time the Eagles will appear on any version of "Hard Knocks" in the show's nearly 25-year history. Last season, HBO featured the entire AFC North division in its in-season edition. The NFC East brings particularly juicy storylines with the Giants-Eagles rivalry intensified by the Barkley situation.

Can John Mara's Giants handle the spotlight again after last year's Saquon Barkley saga?

NFL: New York Giants at Atlanta Falcons - Source: Imagn

The Giants' previous Hard Knocks experience did not reflect well on the organization. This is despite earning rave reviews and even a Sports Emmy nomination for its unprecedented behind-the-scenes access.

As reported by Delawareonline, the 2024 offseason series gained "instant notoriety over the deliberations among Giants management about whether to retain running back Saquon Barkley."

The televised anxiety about Barkley potentially joining the Eagles became painfully prophetic when he signed with Philadelphia and rushed for 2,005 yards. He became only the ninth player in NFL history to surpass 2,000 yards in a season.

Barkley added another 499 yards in the playoffs as the Eagles won the Super Bowl, setting an unofficial NFL record for most rushing yards in a regular season plus playoffs.

Giants general manager Joe Schoen appeared to regret the organization's participation in the docuseries. When asked in February about their Hard Knocks appearance, Schoen implied he would steer colleagues away from it.

"I haven't gotten any calls on that. I think I know what I would tell them," he said with a smile.

The HBO camera crews receive more access than regular media covering the teams, capturing sensitive moments in meeting rooms, practices and games. This increased scrutiny made the Giants uncomfortable last time around.