Steelers' Mike Tomlin Embracing Challenge of Hard Knocks

The Pittsburgh Steelers have welcomed the HBO cameras into their locker room.

Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin celebrates a 18-16 victory over the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are involved in NFL Films and HBO's Hard Knocks reality documentary series for the first time in the series's 24 seasons. In most editions, Hard Knocks follows a team during training camp. Recently, the series expanded to following a team throughout the season and the New York Giants most recent off-season was captured by cameras as well. For the first time, Hard Knocks is following an entire division—the AFC North.

Much has been maligned of Hard Knock's difficulties over the years. In 2013, the NFL added the ability to force a team to participate if there were no volunteers. Hard Knocks is by its admission a reality TV series, so it should come as no surprise that having cameras around can spark unnecessary controversy and drama.

In seasons where cameras only follow one team, Hard Knocks is often a disadvantage despite frequent efforts by coaches to spin the adversity into something positive. But the upcoming season isn't just following one team. That presents a unique opportunity for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin to take advantage of.

"To me is something to conquer," said Tomlin when asked about Hard Knocks following the Steelers. "To be quite honest with you, we have to deal with it better than the other three teams. That's how I view a lot of things that come across my plate, particularly when others have to deal with it. I'm less concerned about the inconvenience of it and more concerned about whether we are positioning ourselves to perform under those conditions better than those that we compete against. And so, it's something that everyone in the AFC North has to deal with. It's our agenda to do better than the other three teams."

Unsurprisingly, the AFC North is the first division selected by Hard Knocks—all four teams in the division finished with winning records last season, the first time a division has done so in NFL history. NFL Films vice president and head of content Keith Cossrow said, "We thank the Bengals, Browns, Ravens and Steelers for the opportunity to showcase some of the greatest rivalries in football and present the intensity of a playoff chase from all four corners of this incredibly competitive division" when the upcoming season was announced.

Before the season started, Colin Cowherd of The Herd on FS1 said the Steelers had, "the toughest schedule I have ever seen, Thanksgiving on, in league history." The schedule's difficulty comes from all six of the Steelers' divisional games in the final eight games. The other two games are a road trip to Philadelphia and a Christmas Day game hosting the Chiefs.

While it is speculation, it makes sense that the Steelers' packed schedule, including four straight division games between weeks 11-14, would make for a much easier filming process for Hard Knocks. Similar to how Hollywood movies are filmed every day for months, filming every division game over two months would make economic and strategic sense. Logically, the assumption that the Steelers will be heavily showcased in the upcoming season is not bold.

The challenge of Hard Knocks is dealing with typically private intimate and vulnerable moments getting showcased to the world and the distraction of a reality TV series filmed in the locker room. On paper, all four teams have to deal with the struggle equally. Tomlin is prepared to face the challenges Hard Knocks brings for the first time in his coaching career. It doesn't seem like he's determined to beat the challenge, just to handle it better than everyone else—the Steelers' way.

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