The Pittsburgh Steelers are fresh off a Week 8 win over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. Though Mike Tomlin's team allowed the Giants to hang tough until the final drive of the game, there was plenty for fans to be encouraged by.
This victory did more than mark the third straight win for the Steelers, it made history in more ways than one. Entering the bye week, a Pittsburgh legend hits a record-setting milestone and a former starting receiver finds himself back in the AFC North. Here's the latest Steelers news.
Cam Heyward breaks Steelers franchise record for defensive players
We all know how good Cameron Heyward has been for the longest time, and at 35 years old, the All-Pro defensive lineman is defying Father Time for one of the best seasons of his career.
But Heyward did more than just string together another dominant performance in Week 8 against the Giants; he made history. The Steelers legend became the first defensive player in franchise history to play in 202 regular season games.
.@CamHeyward has played in 202 regular season games for the #Steelers, which ranks fourth in franchise history & first among defensive players. pic.twitter.com/FfgR0ox4mb
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 29, 2024
By suiting up in Week 8, Heyward passes the great Donnie Shell (201 games) for the most games played by a defensive player in Steelers history. In Week 7, Heyward leapfrogged Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount (200 games).
Only three players in Steelers history have played more games with this franchise: Ben Roethlisberger (249 games), Mike Webster (220), and Hines Ward (217). Heyward is in elite company, and he's not done yet.
Diontae Johnson traded to Ravens
The Steelers were hoping to wash their hands of Dionate Johnson when they traded their starting wide receiver to the Panthers during the offseason. Now they have to deal with him again. Only this time, he will be on Baltimore's sidelines.
On October 29, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Johnson had been traded to the Ravens as part of a pick-swap deal with the Panthers. Baltimore surrenders a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and gets Diontae on a rental basis for the rest of the 2024 season while getting a sixth-round pick back from Carolina in return.
Johnson has been a productive receiver in the past with the Steelers, but he saw a significant drop in efficiency during his seven-game stint in with the Panthers. Now on an explosive Ravens offensive with Lamar Jackson at quarterback, Johnson will look to seek revenge against Pittsburgh as the Steelers and Ravens face each other twice in the second half of the season.
Steelers win 22nd straight home game on Monday Night Football
We can't put our finger on it, but there's just something about the Steelers hosting Monday Night Football games that we can't explain. This franchise has had dominant home performances on MNF over the years, and they literally can't be beaten in this setting over the past three decades.
With the win over the Giants in Week 8, the Steelers increased their historic streak to 22 straight home wins on Monday Night Football. The last time Pittsburgh lost a home game on MNF came in 1991. Russell Wilson was two years old and Mike Tomlin was a 19-year-old college student.