Steelers Now
On the latest episode of his Not Just Football podcast, Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro defensive tackle Cam Heyward peeled back the curtain on the Steelers’ devastating loss to the Cleveland Browns in the 2020 AFC Wild Card game at Heinz Field.
The Browns set an NFL playoff record by scoring 28 points in the first quarter. Cleveland ended up defeating Pittsburgh, 48-37, but the final score wasn’t a true indication of the embarrassing performance that took place at Heinz Field on that frigid January night by the Steelers.
Ben Roethlisberger and Maurkice Pouncey were emotional after the loss, both sitting on the bench in tears well after the game finished. It ended up being Pouncey’s last career game.
“It was one of the saddest pictures to watch Ben and Pounce sit on that bench after that game. There weren’t any fans, we had maybe 50 family members there,” Heyward said. “And for that game to play out like that, boy I thought I was retired after that game. That was depressing.”
Heyward needs no endorsement at this point of his career. However, anything to build upon his resume for the Pro Football Hall of Fame will help, and one current member sees a Gold Jacket in Heyward’s future.
Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter believes Heyward is cut from the same cloth as Steelers legendary defensive tackle Mean Joe Greene.
“He’s still playing at an All-Pro level,” Carter said on his Fully Loaded Podcast. “He’s vitally important in the community, he’s vitally important in the locker room, he’s vitally important in the front office, he’s vitally important as far as the Steelers and their legacy. He’s not mean Joe Greene, but he is the next best thing to Mean Joe Greene, and playing for the Steelers.”
One thing is missing from Heyward’s resume, however, and that’s a Super Bowl ring. Heyward has been a part of just three playoff wins in his 15 years with the Steelers. He was active for just one playoff win, as he was injured in 2016.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Cam Heyward Opens Up on Devastating Playoff Loss: ‘Thought I Was Retired After That’
