Steelers' Cam Heyward 'Pessimistic' About Hall of Fame Game, Concerned About Season

Steelers' defensive captain Cameron Heyward has lingering concerns regarding players' safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PITTSBURGH -- Does anyone know if football is going to be played in 2020? Asking for a friend. 

In all seriousness, the questions surrounding the possibility of taking a field this season, while dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak, has been on the top of everyone's mind all year. As of now, the league is pushing for it's scheduled start date, but as we inch closer, players are becoming more aware of the challenges it presents. 

Steelers' defense end Cameron Heyward is one of those players expressing his concern. The team, like the rest of the NFL, has yet to return to camp and has no planned start date marked as of now. 

"With everything that keeps changing, we really can't grasp what's fully going on," Heyward said on a conference call with reporters Thursday. "I talk to my teammates every day about what's going on and what to expect. We know the NFL and the NFLPA have to come to an agreement. My thing is, I want all my guys to have all the information first, and then I don't want to be in a situation where we agree to something when a lot of the guys are up in the air about some things."

The first step in that process is regrouping to complete training camp. The NFL sent out protocols teams must follow with the facilities to keep everything safe. With the lack of practice, though, it's hard to imagine things run smoothly in such a short period of time. 

Pittsburgh is set to kick off the 2020 season against the Dallas Cowboys in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame game on Aug. 6, but Heyward said he's not banking on it happening. 

"I think the Hall of Fame Game is probably out," Heyward said. "I think we talk so much about safety, and [so] why would we want to expose two teams to an extra game a week early? I think there's a rule that you have to have 47 days of football and activities before you can even get to the first game. So we're getting to the point where there's not a lot that can happen. We'll see. I would say I'm pretty pessimistic when it comes to that Hall of Fame Game."

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced this month that sports could return in the state, but without fans. On Thursday, Dr. Anthony Fauci said if leagues like the NFL were to return, they would need to follow the same "bubble" guidelines the NBA is using. 

In the NFL, Heyward feels that's not possible.

"I think it's harder because we have more players," Heyward said. "I don't know if you can keep a rough number of 75 people from each team - in adding a bunch of teams along with it - I don't know how that would look. It's a great idea with a bubble, and I'm excited to see what the NBA does with it. I hope we cross every avenue to see what's the safest, healthiest way to make sure we play football." 

Even if the NFL does find a way to keep its player under certain precautions, Heyward feels it's going to be challenging to stop the spread of the virus. Different versions of newly designed helmets have hit the surface, but nothing seems safe enough when you have 22 players hitting each other for 60 minutes.

"It's a slippery slope because I feel like so much of football is contact," Heyward said. "Especially in the trenches, guys literally going at each other every single play. I know there's been talks about different helmets. I would love for that to be the end-all, but there are a lot of moving parts.

"Football is going to have to change a lot. I heard someone say this before, but it's not like COVID needs to bend to football. Football has got to bend to COVID. We're going to have to really make some sacrifices to our game to make sure this is even possible and to make sure our players are healthy."

If it does happen, though, and football returns and the Steelers hit the field - Heyward is ready to play. If rules require there to be empty stadiums on Sundays, he knows the team can still play for the fans at home, but on the field, it's going to be different. 

"I guess we're just going to be playing Renegade through the entire game," Heyward laughed. "It's going to be interesting. Those third-down stops. I think one thing that's going to be interesting to see if we don't have fans, how teams are going to go about their calling plays and the cadence. The smart ones are going to pick up on that and use it to their advantage, especially in the division.

"I feel like if you really get a good grasp and hear a quarterback keep talking out loud without fan noise, you should have an advantage as a defense."

Noah Strackbein is a Senior Writer with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.