Steelers Now
Many around the league don’t think Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward has much good football left in him.
Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro defensive tackle Cameron Heyward is coming off one of the best seasons of his NFL career at the age of 35. But many around the league don’t think he can keep it up for much longer.
Heyward barely cracked ESPN’s top 10 defensive tackles for 2025 — voted on by NFL executives, coaches and scouts — as he came in at No. 10.
“Heyward fueled his own Steeler legend with an age-35 performance that included a first-team All-Pro berth,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN writes. “Fighting off inevitable decline, Heyward produced 8 sacks, 20 quarterback hits and a league-high 8 batted passes. The difference from a down 2023 campaign was simple.”
Heyward’s 2024 campaign was exactly what he needed to prove he can still play in the NFL. In 2023, he suffered a groin injury in Week 1 that forced him to miss the next six games.
When Heyward did return, he was far from the same player, finishing the year with just 33 tackles, two sacks and one pass defensed.
However, the Steelers still believed in Heyward as they gave him a three-year, $45 million contract extension last offseason, and he rewarded them in return.
“He was healthier,” an AFC executive said. “Got past the nagging injuries from 2023 and performed back up to his standard. He’s been good for a long time.”
Only time will tell how much good football Heyward actually has left in him, but if what those around the league believe is true, his best football may already be behind him.
Heyward has two years left on his contract. He will be 37 when it expires at the end of the 2026 season.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: NFL Execs Disrespect Cam Heyward: ‘Fighting Off Inevitable Decline’
