The Buffalo Bills will soon find themselves in a far brighter spotlight than usual, thanks to HBO’s Hard Knocks, per NBCSports. And for head coach Sean McDermott, that comes with more than just extra camera angles—it comes with tension.

McDermott, in his typical forthright style, acknowledged the difficulty of staying authentic when microphones are lurking around every corner. His main concern centers on trust. Trust, he explained, is the glue that holds teams together during the grueling stretch of training camp. It’s not something that forms easily when players are mindful of what might be aired on national television.

“The real challenge to us is the authenticity of who we are,” McDermott said. “That glue part is going to be challenged because of that third component, whether it’s a microphone, a camera in different rooms, in different conversations.” For a coach who’s spent eight years building a culture based on openness and accountability, anything that threatens that internal honesty is going to raise eyebrows.

Even though the NFL’s rule change this year removed the previous playoff exemption from the show, making the Bills eligible to be featured for the first time, the reaction out of Buffalo hasn’t been one of celebration. According to The Athletic’s Tim Graham, the mood inside the building can best be described as reluctant. Or as Graham put it bluntly, “They loathe the idea of Hard Knocks.”

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Between Exposure and Disruption

While McDermott did note that fans will enjoy the peek behind the curtain, he was quick to clarify that the view won’t be complete. “Is it 100 percent inside? Maybe not,” he said. That statement alone hints at a deep discomfort with how well a camera crew can really capture the nuances of an NFL locker room.

For a team that’s been on the edge of championship contention, distractions like this are not welcome. Trust and togetherness are what McDermott believes will take them over the top, and he sees the looming presence of a reality series as something that could crack that foundation. Yet he made clear that the Bills won’t change who they are just because a boom mic is hanging overhead.

For fans, this might seem like an exciting development. But inside One Bills Drive, the cameras are rolling—and so is the skepticism.