Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward is voicing his displeasure over his team’s upcoming participation in the HBO reality show “Hard Knocks” this season.
While the Chicago Bears will be the main focus of “Hard Knocks” during the usual training camp segment of the show, this year the entire AFC North will also be featured in a special in-season version of the series.
Heyward made his feelings known on Saturday’s episode of his “Not Just Football” podcast. The six-time Pro Bowler did not hold back, saying he “hated it” when he first learned about the Steelers’ involvement in the 2024 season of “Hard Knocks.”
He expressed concerns about how the show could disrupt the team’s locker room dynamic by potentially taking conversations out of context.
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“I hated it. I don’t want to be on this,” Heyward said, as reported by Nick Farabaugh of PennLive. “The locker room is the locker room, and I just don’t want that getting messed up. There are so many inside jokes, so many people. You would assume everybody’s a jerk if you heard everything out of context. But it comes from a loving and caring place. We all want to be better, and we joke a lot. We poke and prod at each other, but it doesn’t always come off that way. And so, that’s the only thing I really worry about.”
Heyward’s willingness to discuss the upcoming season at all is considered a positive sign for Steelers fans, given recent concerns about his future with the team amid ongoing contract negotiations. There has even been speculation that Heyward might move on to a division rival.
Currently, Heyward is under contract for $22.4 million this season, which is the final year of the four-year, $65.6 million deal he signed with the Steelers in 2020. Having spent all 13 years of his NFL career in Pittsburgh, his potential departure would undoubtedly be a significant change for the team.
As the new season of “Hard Knocks” approaches, Heyward’s candid remarks have added to the conversation about the show’s impact on team dynamics and the potential consequences of such in-depth media exposure.
