Father Time is undefeated. But he is going into the late rounds with Cam Heyward, and right now, it’s a draw. The former first-round pick from Ohio State just completed his 14th season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he’s not slowing down at all. In fact, he might be getting better.
Heyward was a first-team All-Pro selection after recording eight sacks and double-digit tackles for a loss (12) for the eighth time in his career. He is seemingly getting better with age, and entering his age-36 season, you can make an argument that he is the best player on the roster.
Cam Heyward Is The Ageless Wonder for the Pittsburgh Steelers
But where does Heyward compare among his peers?
Well, as you would expect, pretty high. In a recent article by Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus, he wrote about the top 32 interior defensive linemen heading into the 2025 season. And of course, Heyward was ranked high on the list, coming in at No. 3. Here is what Sikkema had to say about the future Hall of Fame defensive tackle for the Steelers:
" Even at 35 years old, Heyward was stellar in 2024. His 90.1 single-season PFF overall grade ranked second only to Chris Jones. His 85.9 PFF pass-rush grade was the best mark of his career, too."Trevor Sikkema, Pro Football Focus
The Steelers ask a ton of Heyward, but he has delivered and more so over the last few years. Pittsburgh is hopeful that Derrick Harmon, their first-round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft, can help take some of the pressure off Heyward and eventually replace him.
But Heyward isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, and you can make a case that he should be even higher on this list.
If the Steelers want to make it back to the postseason and get their first playoff win in nearly a decade, they are going to need Heyward to continue to play at an All-Pro level. At this point, that is a near given considering what we saw last year on the field. Heyward is a special player, and Steelers fans should try to enjoy him as long as he’s in Pittsburgh.