The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to defeat the New York Giants by a score of 26-18 on Monday Night Football. Even though the offense was getting chunk play after chunk play, the usual suspects stole the show in the second half. TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith had their way with the Giants' offensive tackles, as they combined for four sacks, four tackles for loss, eight hits on the quarterback, and a key strip sack. However, they had to share the spotlight with a fellow pass rusher after the game concluded.
During the postgame interviews in the locker room, the media informed Cameron Heyward that he is the official record-holder for most games played by a defensive player in Steelers history. Once he played his first snap of the game against the Giants, he had officially played in his 202nd career game, which surpassed Donnie Shell and his 201 career games in Pittsburgh.
Heyward got a little emotional and teary-eyed as he spoke about the accomplishment. He downplayed his feelings for it a bit, but it is still a note that he will never forget.
"I wasn't expecting that [stat], but yeah, it was nice. I would have been fine if [the media] never acknowledged it."
Heyward is officially fourth on the all-time list for games played as a Steeler, behind Hines Ward, Mike Webster, and Ben Roethlisberger. That is some elite company to be in, and the former first-round pick from 2011 probably never imaged that he would be even competing with them in that stat, but that's what happens when you are a consistent, dominant threat in the pass rush.
Steelers Should See Heyward Continue To Climb The Leaderboards
While Heyward, may not want to acknowledge it right now, he has a legitimate shot of passing Webster soon, and getting very close to Roethlisberger. Heyward has repeatedly said that he wants to play for two more years, and the Steelers honored that idea by giving him an extension that runs through the 2026 season.
With 17 games in each of the next two seasons, plus the nine remaining in 2024, Heyward could play up to 43 regular season games. He won't catch Roethlisberger, but he could get up to 245 total contests played, which would be four games shy of the legendary quarterback's record. He only needs 19 more to pass Webster, and he can do that in 2025.
Later in the interview, Heyward was asked about what the record meant to him. He again downplayed the whole situation, but it still obviously meant a lot to him.
"I don't know [what it means to me]. I know the players that are around that, and I have so much respect for them: Donnie Shell, Mel [Blount], and then Ben [Roethlisberger] holding it, there's a lot of respect there. I don't take this game lightly. There's a lot of luck involved, there's a lot of staying healthy when everyone said I was hurt all the time, but I appreciate it. It's something I can add to the books."
Heyward has repeatedly talked about the receipts that he keeps, as he is used to being undermined and called out for the slightest things by the fans and the media. He can officially say that he proved them all wrong. On a franchise that prides themselves on elite defense, having the most games played by a defensive player is a truly special accomplishment.
Obviously, his work in Pittsburgh is not done. He still wants his Super Bowl ring, and time is running short. It's safe to say that he will put every ounce of his being into these last few seasons to help lead this team to where they truly want to be. Merely playing in so many matches is not enough, and it shouldn't be.
