Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers star defensive lineman Cam Heyward made it clear he is not looking forward to cameras following the team throughout the 2024 season.
“I hated it. I don’t want to be on this,” Heyward told the “Not Just Football” podcast when he spoke about his initial reaction to the news that the Steelers would be one of the teams featured in the in-season iteration of the popular docuseries.
Three different versions of the long-running series will air this year.
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Cameron Heyward #97 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Acrisure Stadium on December 3, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
“HBO’s Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants” premiered on July 2. The Chicago Bears training camp and preseason will be documented in the traditional five-part format beginning in August.
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Lastly and for the first time ever, the show will follow all four teams that compete in the same division — the AFC North — throughout the regular season for “Hard Knocks: In Season.” Aside from the Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, and Cincinnati Bengals compete in the AFC North division.
Cameron Heyward #97 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs onto the field during player introductions prior to the game against the Tennessee Titans at Heinz Field on December 19, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Justin Berl/Getty Images)
The six-time Pro Bowler cited concerns about the potential negative impact the show could have on the Steelers’ locker room dynamic. Heyward specifically pointed to the possibility of conversations being aired that may be shown without proper context.
“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,” Heyward said. “There’s so many people, like, you would assume everybody’s a jerk if you heard everything. But it comes from a loving place, and it comes from a 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.”
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) and T.J. Watt (90) celebrate sacking Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning during the second half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Dean)
Heyward is scheduled to enter the 2024 season under the final year of his four-year contract with the Steelers.
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The 35-year-old has been with the Steelers since the franchise drafted him in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. The Steelers open the season on Sept. 8 against the Atlanta Falcons.
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