Don’t expect to see Pittsburgh Steelers star Cameron Heyward in a Cleveland Browns jersey any time soon, despite rumors that he could be interested in joining his longtime rival.
A quote from Heyward about his future sparked speculation that the six-time Pro Bowler could be interested in linking up with the Browns down the road. Heyward is heading into the final year of his deal with the Steelers.
“I have talked to my wife (Allie), and we know the reality, and we have had those talks, and she said it could be fun to play somewhere else,” Heyward said per Mark Kaboly of The Athletic. “If that is what is needed to be done, then so be it.
“I still have family in Cleveland … my wife is from Cleveland. We will see. I am not trying to think about all that right now.”
Heyward shut down the rumors on social media during a Q&A with some fans.
“Bro I ain’t going to Cleveland,” Heyward responded to a question about joining the Browns. “My wife about threw up when she saw the report. It was a joke in passing.”
Browns-Steelers Rivalry Runs Deep
Heyward, 35, has played his entire 13-year career with the Steelers. He has 647 tackles and 80.5 sacks in his career and has earned a trio of First-Team All-Pro selections.
Heyward might be playing the statement off as a joke in passing. However, it could also be a bit of strategy by the veteran as he eyes a new deal to remain with the Steelers. He also skipped OTAs this offseason.
“First of all, it’s voluntary. Let’s get that straight. I’m working out, doing everything,” Heyward said on his podcast in May. “I have always attended these, but at this time, it’s just contract negotiations. I want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler, but we’ll see what happens.”
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson recently shared that he feels the Browns-Steelers rivalry is one of the best in sports. The last thing the Steelers fans want to see is one of their fan favorites waring orange and brown.
“Cleveland-Pittsburgh, for sure,” Watson said. “It’s even bigger than Cincinnati. It’s not Baltimore. Baltimore is up there, but it ain’t as real as Pittsburgh.”
The Browns and Steelers will meet up on November 21 next season. A few weeks later, they’ll run it back on December 8.
Browns Have Elite Defensive Expectations
Cleveland led the league in total defense allowed with 270.2 yards per game. The unit wants to duplicate that in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz’s second season. The veteran coordinator sounds ready to add some wrinkles.
“We’re obviously in a different spot because we have a year in the system. So, I think what that affords us is the ability to work on more changeups,” Schwartz said on May 31. “Like, we’re a fastball team right, we do what we do, we try to do it really well. But there were some things that we sort of held back last year.”
Cleveland returns almost all of their key pieces from a year ago. The Browns hope the addition of second-round DT Mike Hall Jr. can make an impact.
“He’s super athletic guy. You know, super explosive, super quick,” fellow Browns DT Dalvin Tomlinson said of Hall on June 11. “And he’s going to bring a whole different dynamic up front for us. Yeah, I want Mike to go out there and ball out week one.”
The Browns open the season on September 8 against the Dallas Cowboys.
