Cam Heyward has been an ageless wonder for the Pittsburgh Steelers, especially since he suffered a season-ending injury in 2016. From 2017 on, Heyward has earned three first-team All-Pro nominations and has racked up 80.5 sacks and over 350 quarterback pressures.
Now, he did miss several games in 2023 due to a groin injury and he even stated that he never got back to 100% before returning to action. This led to his play being below the level that the Steelers are used to Heyward playing at. As he is about to enter his 14th training camp, the 35 year old is finally feeling healthy again.
His 14th season with the team also marks the last year on his current contract. As he comes off a rough season and one filled with injuries, the Steelers appeared to have stalled in negotiation and seem to be waiting to see how this year plays out.
Heyward made headlines earlier this offseason when he talked about potentially leaving in free agency next offseason if the Steelers do not pay him as one of the top interior defensive lineman in the league. Why he deserves so much at such a high age, well according to himself, it is because he brings a style of play that no one else can replicate.
“My game is different from everybody else in this league,” Heyward said. “I like to think I can play the run and the pass. And that’s why I’m different.”
So what is the 35 year old doing in order to try to preserve his strength and ability to play? He is studying powerlifters as they are all about power, which is Heyward’s specialty.
“Last year Mike (Tomlin) brought to my attention, the thing that’s really cool is you watch powerlifters, and my game is built on power and technique and (powerlifters) go into their 40s,” Heyward said. “And so, you know, that’s what kind of research I’m doing behind the scenes.”
Not too many guys get contact extensions in the NFL at 35 years old, especially one the size that Heyward is probably looking for but for him, it is about making history. Not that he is being greedy, he just values himself as one of the best in the league which is a fair assessment as he had back-to-back double digit sack seasons prior to his injury-riddled 2023 season.
“There’s not a lot of history behind it, but for me, I look at it as I’m not looking to be like anybody else,” Heyward said. “My game is different from everybody else in this league, I like to think. I can play the run and the pass, and that’s where I’m different. But we’ll see what happens. There’s not a lot of history, but I’m here to make history, and I’m here to win another Super Bowl here and have a great season.”
While he expressed his willingness to move on from the Steelers and even joked about playing for the Cleveland Browns, Heyward reassured fans that Pittsburgh is the place that he wants to be.
“I’m looking to be here,” Heyward said. “The value is what we decide. For me, I want to be valued at my position. I understand I came off a rough season, but I don’t think it’s a step down from where I can play. I’m still at the top of my game. I’m still a top-five player at my position. I play the run and the pass. I bring leadership. It’s not anything I discount.”
Heyward may not be able to get back to double-digit sack numbers but he should return to form in regard to his strength and speed in 2024. If he can fully bounce back to how he played in 2022, then an extension is not out of the realm of possibilities but he has to prove himself worthy of one first.
97 • Cam Heyward, Defensive Tackle, Ohio State
6-foot-5, 295 pounds, 35 years old, 14th Season
Acquired: The Steelers drafted Cam Heyward out of the Ohio State University with the 31st overall pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
Last season: Cam Heyward injured his groin in the Steelers season opening loss against the San Fransisco 49ers. That injury resulted in him missing six games. He returned after the team’s bye week but was not fully healed. In his 11 appearances, Heyward totaled 33 tackles and two sacks.
Heyward won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award following the 2023 season.
Career: After being a first-round pick in 2011, Cam Heyward went his first two seasons with 32 appearances and zero starts. Over his first two full seasons, Heyward racked up 31 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, 19 quarterback pressures, one forced fumble, and one pass defended.
In 2013, Heyward started his first NFL game and finished with 13 starts in total as a third-year player. In 16 games, Heyward racked up 59 total tackles, five sacks, 47 quarterback pressures, and seven passes defended.
Heyward started all 16 games for the Steelers in 2014 and finished the season with 53 total tackles, 7.5 sacks, 54 pressures, and four passes defended. Following the season, the Steelers decided to exercise Heyward’s fifth-year option.
In 2016, Heyward only appeared in and started seven games for the Steelers due to two separate injuries. He first suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined him for a short stint and then suffered a torn pectoral muscle that kept him out the rest of the season.
The 2017 season is when Heyward really took his game to the next level. He started 15 games and tallied 45 combined tackles and three passes defended. He set career-highs with 12 sacks, 62 quarterback pressures, and two forced fumbles. After the season, Heyward was named to the first-team All-Pro team. Pro Football Focus gave Heyward a rating of 89.8 which at that point of his career, was the highest rating of his career.
Over the next two seasons, Heyward started all 32 games for the Steelers and totaled 134 total tackles, 17 sacks, 119 quarterback pressures, two forced fumbles, and nine passes defended. After the 2019 season, Heyward was named to the first-team All-Pro team for the second time in his career. In addition, after the 2019 season, PFF gave Heyward the highest grade of his career with a 91.5 defensive rating.
In 2021, Heyward was named to his third first-team All-Pro team after he racked up 89 tackles, 10 sacks, 61 quarterback pressures, one forced fumble, and nine passes defended.
In 2022, Heyward maintained his elite level of play as he started all 17 games on the defensive line and recorded 74 total tackles, 10.5 sacks, 58 quarterback pressures, one forced fumble, and four passes defended.
Over the final four games of the 2022 season, Heyward recorded seven sacks with three of them coming in Week 18 against the Cleveland Browns.
Over the first 13 seasons as a member of the black-and-gold, Heyward has earned three first-team All-Pro nominations and five Pro Bowl selections. In his 194 career games, Heyward has started 159 games and tallied 647 tackles, 98 tackles for loss, 80.5 sacks, 47 passes defended, eight forced fumbles, and two interceptions.
| Year | GP | GS | Tackles | Sacks | Pressures | FFs | PDs | PFF Rating |
| 2011 | 16 | 0 | 11 | 1.0 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 61.3 |
| 2012 | 16 | 0 | 20 | 1.5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 66.2 |
| 2013 | 16 | 13 | 59 | 5.0 | 47 | 0 | 7 | 62.6 |
| 2014 | 16 | 16 | 53 | 7.5 | 54 | 0 | 4 | 75.0 |
| 2015 | 16 | 16 | 54 | 7.0 | 58 | 1 | 2 | 80.4 |
| 2016 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 3.0 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 66.5 |
| 2017 | 15 | 15 | 45 | 12.0 | 62 | 2 | 3 | 89.8 |
| 2018 | 16 | 16 | 51 | 8.0 | 59 | 1 | 3 | 84.4 |
| 2019 | 16 | 16 | 83 | 9.0 | 60 | 1 | 6 | 91.5 |
| 2020 | 15 | 15 | 54 | 4.0 | 62 | 0 | 3 | 89.1 |
| 2021 | 17 | 17 | 89 | 10.0 | 61 | 1 | 9 | 91.0 |
| 2022 | 17 | 17 | 74 | 10.5 | 58 | 1 | 4 | 89.8 |
| 2023 | 11 | 11 | 33 | 2.0 | – | 0 | 1 | 71.9 |
College: Coming out of Peachtree Ridge High School in 2006, Cam Heyward committed to the Ohio State University. As a true freshman in 2007, Heyward appeared in 13 games and tallied 33 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and three passes defended. The Ohio State Buckeyes went to the BCS National Championship with Heyward as a freshman but ultimately lost to LSU. Following the season, Heyward was named a freshman All-American.
In 2008, Heyward totaled 36 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass defended. As a junior in 2009, Heyward helped guide the Buckeyes to a Rose Bowl victory against Oregon. He finished his junior season with 46 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks.
Prior to his senior season, Heyward decided to return to Ohio State for his senior season. In 13 games as a senior, Heyward finished with 48 combined tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and one interception.
Heyward finished his Ohio State career with 163 combined tackles, 37.5 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles, and four passes defended.
| Year | GP | Tackles | TFLs | Sacks | INTs | PDs | FFs |
| 2007 | 13 | 33 | 10.0 | 2.5 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 2008 | 13 | 36 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2009 | 13 | 46 | 10.0 | 6.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 13 | 48 | 13.0 | 3.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Salary cap and future: Cam Heyward is entering the final season of his current contract with the Steelers. He will cost $22.4 million against the team’s cap space this season. He is scheduled to become a free agent following this season.
