Like a fine wine, Cam Heyward continues to get better with age. The Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle is coming off perhaps his most complete season in the NFL, setting a personal record for passes defended (11) while collecting eight sacks, 71 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits.
As a result, the 36-year-old earned his seventh Pro Bowl selection and fourth All-Pro nod. And don’t forget his durability, having played all 17 regular-season games in three of the last four years.
So it’s no surprise Heyward is No. 10 in ESPN’s updated defensive tackle position rankings, which are based on conversations with league executives, coaches and scouts, as well as voting by 70 players throughout the NFL. ESPN noted that least year, while “fighting off inevitable decline,” Heyward recorded a league-high eight batted passes.
“‘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.’
“Opposing quarterbacks posted a 1.0 QBR on dropbacks when Heyward applied the first pressure. Translation: When he got deep into the backfield, he made the play, forcing 17 incompletions on the year.”
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In ESPN’s position rankings last year, Heyward landed outside the top 10 but received an honorable mention.
Heyward signed a three-year, $45 million contract extension last September. It included $29 million in new money and $16 million guaranteed. The deal keeps Heyward in Pittsburgh through the 2026 season, increasing the chances he will retire with the same team which selected him in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
“There are certain guys who are one-helmet guys,” Heyward told Steelers.com at the time. “I want to be one of those one-helmet guys.”
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