The Steelers could be on NFL Hard Knocks next year. That’s if they miss the playoffs in 2023, of course, but the team is not that far off from potentially being forced to do the show a year from now, a show that they have never appeared on in their history. While the New York Jets were forced to do it this year and will reportedly restrict access the program gets, players still view the program as a distraction.
Some guys like Cam Heyward have said they would ‘never be on Hard Knocks’. However, appearing on Heyward’s Not Just Football Podcast, Kenny Pickett chimed in on the potential of the idea as well. He’s not too keen on potentially being on the show and would rather sit on the sidelines and watch.
“I wouldn’t love it,” Pickett said. “You know how guys are when cameras are around. Everyone gets much louder and do stuff that they wouldn’t do because they see cameras. It’s human nature if you can’t really do different things. But guys kinda lose focus on what you’re there to do. But it is what it is.”
The Steelers have never been picked thus far in the show’s history. Ramon Foster thinks it will remain that way. One part is that Foster does not see enough good storylines for the team to fit into the show. The other is that he believes the Rooneys have significant pull so they would never have to do the show itself.
Pickett and Heyward believe that if it did happen, Damontae Kazee and Christian Kuntz would end up being fan favorites on the show. But most teams seem to have this same stance now. Hard Knocks is viewed more as a burden than something that really works in the grand scheme of things, and the access that teams have been willing to give in recent years has decreased significantly. Usually, the teams would volunteer, now the NFL is forcing teams to do it, showcasing just how sour most teams feel towards the show.