The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Cam Heyward in the 2011 NFL Draft, and they have gotten a great return on that investment. He has anchored their defensive line for the last 15 seasons and become everything they could have hoped for.
Cam has grown into a multi-season All-Pro defensive lineman for a very long time. The Steelers' history has always been deep-rooted in defensive identity and strong leadership, and Heyward has fit that bill.
There are signs that a player's best years are behind him, and Cam had not shown that when healthy up to this season. He had a stellar 2024 season, racking up 71 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, 20 QB hits, and 11 passes defensed on his way to a first-team All-Pro selection.
The 2025 season has not been quite as productive on the stat sheet, but Heyward has been a great player at 36 years old. He has 66 total tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks,8 QB hits, 6 passes defensed, and a forced fumble.
This season started a bit rocky with a "hold-in" right before the season. The Steelers eventually found common ground with Cam's camp, and he was ready to go to start the year.
Many were upset with Cam since he had just signed a contract last season. However, that contract was nothing more than a glorified restructure that did nothing for Heyward. He signed it to help the team in 2024 while vowing to come back to the table in 2025 if he were an All-Pro, which he turned out to be.
Regardless of how one feels about the money side of things, one thing is clear: The Steelers and their fans should be worried about Cam Heyward's playing future.
Cam Heyward leaving could spell doom for the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line
Whether through retirement or leaving the Steelers as a free agent, the departure of Cam Heyward could be very detrimental to the Steelers' defensive line. He has been a veteran captain and leader on defense for many years in Pittsburgh.
The defensive line got an infusion of youth recently with Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon, and Yahya Black in recent years. However, losing a player like Heyward would be tough on the group and the team as a whole.
Heyward is not only a great run defender, but he can also rush the passer, as evidenced by his 92.0 career sacks. He also has a knack for batting passes down at the line of scrimmage, which has prevented many big plays from ever happening.
Derrick Harmon has shown flashes of being the next great Steelers defensive lineman, especially in the run game, but he has a long way to go to become the overall stalwart that Cam Heyward has been for 15 years.
Heyward has had another good year in 2025 and could very well keep playing beyond this season. He will be 37 next year and could decide to hang it up, or Pittsburgh could decide not to pay him and let him test free agency.
Should he actually leave, the Steelers would be losing a franchise great, a key defensive player, and a team leader. That will be harder to replace than many fans are aware.
The Steelers must do whatever they can to limit the damage if Heyward were to leave one way or another. Be it through the draft or free agency, they must improve the group, should Cam no longer be a Pittsburgh Steeler.