Steelers' Cam Heyward Denounces Team's Forthcoming In-Season 'Hard Knocks' Appearance

Patrick Andres | Jul 13, 2024

Nov 2, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward watches the game against the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. / Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

This year, Hard Knocks is trying something completely different.

For the 2024 in-season edition of the venerable HBO reality series, producers will focus on all four AFC North teams. The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers will all be under the microscope as they navigate life in football's toughest division.

While the show's announcement was met with interest from fans, it has at least one opponent in longtime Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward.

"I hated it. I don’t want to be on this," Heyward said on his podcast, Not Just Football.

The Ohio State product said that he views the locker room as a safe space, and worried Pittsburgh's behavior in it could be misinterpreted.

"The locker room is the locker room, and I just don’t want that getting messed up. There’s so many inside jokes, so many people. There’s so many people, like, you would assume everybody’s a jerk if you heard everything," Heyward said. "But it comes from a loving place, and it comes from a caring place."

The Steelers, long camera-shy when it comes to Hard Knocks, have never appeared on the show in its 24-year history.