Why Steelers' Cameron Heyward 'hated' learning about 'Hard Knocks' assignment

During the latest edition of his "Not Just Football" podcast, veteran Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward left little doubt he wants no part of the upcoming "Hard Knocks: In Season" program that will feature the entire AFC North division.

"I hated it," Heyward said about the "Hard Knocks" assignment, as shared by Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot. "I don't wanna be on this. The locker room is the locker room, and I just don't want that getting messed up. There's so many inside jokes. 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 wanna be better and we joke a lot. We poke and prod at each other but it doesn't come off that way always. And so that's the only thing I really worry about."

Heyward isn't alone. New York Giants co-owner John Mara reportedly long held a "distaste for the program," and Giants head coach Brian Daboll purposely played music during some recorded conversations involving general manager Joe Schoen so those discussions couldn't be used on the "Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants" show that's airing this summer.

"I agree that people could get misinterpreted or other people could be misguided on how they feel about somebody based on what they hear on TV," Steelers long-snapper Christian Kuntz added during the podcast. "Where it could be just a joke, where it a hundred percent is just a joke or an inside joke. It's just, a locker room's like a safe place. That facility is like a safe place and you're gonna have cameras everywhere. It's in the middle of like Week 8, heat of the battle with division games and stuff."

The Steelers should be an interesting team to follow this fall as veteran quarterback Russell Wilson attempts to salvage what's left of his playing career while 25-year-old signal-caller Justin Fields waits for a possible opportunity to play. Regardless of what Heyward and others inside locker rooms feel, the NFL has made it clear that "Hard Knocks" now is simply a yearly part of life for those associated with teams.