Steelers' Cameron Heyward Says There Was a Snake in Locker Room at Northwest Stadium

The serpent paid a surprise visit to the locker room before Pittsburgh's win over Washington in Week 10.

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward watches warm ups before an August 2024 game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers were paid a visit by a surprise reptilian guest—or perhaps resident—in the visitor's locker room at Northwest Stadium prior to the team's 28–27 comeback victory over the Washington Commanders in Week 10. In a teaser video for a Thursday episode of the Not Just Football with Cam Heyward podcast, Heyward revealed that there was a snake in the visiting locker room in Washington.

"Before the game, I go out, warm up, I come back in," Heyward explained. "Everybody was a little bit shocked when I came in. I was like, 'What's going on?' There was a snake in our locker room.

"A snake. And it was coming from the bottom of Russell's {Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson] locker. Everybody was like thrown for a loop. A snake in our locker room!"

The worst part? Heyward says the team was unable to remove the serpent from the premises before it slithered away.

"Nobody got it," Heyward said with a laugh. "Nobody got it. It slithered right back under."

Heyward says plenty of his teammates were freaked out by the snake. But, as the six-time Pro Bowl selection went on to explain, the reptile became just another obstacle the road warrior Steelers had to navigate en route to victory.

"Mike T [Steelers coach Mike Tomlin] was like, 'We can make a big deal about a small locker room ... There being a snake. But it doesn't matter. We still got to win.'

"So it kind of just played into our mantra."

Trailing by 10 points in the third quarter, Pittsburgh mounted a comeback, which was capped by a go-ahead, 32-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to the newly-acquired Mike Williams. Pittsburgh then, er, slithered its way out of Northwest Stadium to improve to 7–2, and 4–1 on the road this season.

As for Northwest Stadium—formerly known as FedEx Field—a snake in the locker room is just another day in the life at the much-maligned stadium. From reptiles, to pieces of the stadium nearly collapsing on Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, to the hot water system failing, leaving the showers broken for the Commanders and New York Giants during a 2023 game, there have been no shortage of issues at Washington's home field.

Commanders owner Josh Harris in August told reporters the team is hopeful a new stadium can open in time for the 2030 season.

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