The Buffalo Bills will not be on 'Hard Knocks' in 2015

All the way back on March 24, ESPN's Mike Rodak passed along word from Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley that the team would not be featured on HBO's Hard Knocks this year.

Doug Whaley confirms that the Bills won’t be doing Hard Knocks. Said it’s not the Pegulas’ "cup of tea," nor his.

— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) March 24, 2015

Despite this, nearly two months later, reports began surfacing on Friday morning that the Bills are among three contenders to be featured on the show. ESPN Cleveland started it. CBS Sports ran with it, as did Deadspin and more outlets.

The Bills aren't going to be on Hard Knocks this year. Rodak confirmed it two months ago, and others (WGR 550's Sal Capaccio first among them) have re-confirmed it today. We have separately confirmed with NFL Films that the Bills will not be appearing on the show this year. (NFL Films produces the show in conjunction with HBO.)

Buffalo was exempt from being forced to participate because of the status of head coach Rex Ryan; NFL clubs with first-year head coaches cannot be compelled to take part in the filming. Whaley's comments from late March suggest that if the NFL did ask Kim and Terry Pegula to waive that exemption and let their team be on the show, they politely declined.

So no, NFL fans: you won't have the opportunity for more unfiltered Rex on television for at least another year. And if the idea that the Bills will be on Hard Knocks this summer comes up again, just Google it.