At this point in his career, Cam Heyward is the definition of what it means to be a Pittsburgh Steeler. Even being here for only two seasons, former Steelers linebacker Elandon Roberts understood that quickly. Speaking with his new teammate Maxx Crosby on his The Rush podcast, Roberts had a lot of praise for Heyward.
“One thing I will say, Cam Heyward, I’m telling you, this guy is great, not just a player, in the locker room,” Roberts said. “We go to defensive dinner, and he invite everybody. I mean, it ain’t just defense. Like, offensive guys wanna come, staff wanna come, he’ll pay for it all, we do that every road game. And home games, on Thursdays, we’ll go to little spots to get our body worked on, and Cam would provide little stuff, and stuff like that.”
One of the biggest strengths the Steelers have consistently demonstrated over the years is the strength of their locker room. They’ve managed to keep a good core of veterans in that room for years now, and there isn’t anyone who understands that locker room better than Cam Heyward. He’s been in Pittsburgh all 14 years of his career, becoming an embodiment of what it truly means to be a Steeler.
Roberts would be the first to tell you that.
“When you talk about a Pittsburgh Steeler, that man is a Pittsburgh Steeler. I hope one day before he retires, he’ll be able to reach his ultimate goal,” Roberts said.
The ‘ultimate goal’ Roberts is referring to is a Super Bowl victory. That’s about the only thing Cam Heyward hasn’t accomplished as a Steeler. The last time the franchise won a Super Bowl was a few seasons before Heyward was drafted in 2011.
While the Steelers didn’t come close to that achievement in 2024, Heyward did all he could. Despite turning 35, he put together an impressive season, with eight sacks, a career-high 11 passes defended, 71 total tackles, and 12 tackles for a loss. It’s those types of performances that allow you to earn your voice in the locker room, and seasons like that have been commonplace for Heyward.
That 2024 season was especially impressive after he had something of a down year in 2023. That year, Heyward played 11 games and had just two sacks and six tackles for a loss. With his age in mind, many thought that might signal the beginning of a decline in production. He shook off those questions easily last year. Still, his age is only rising, and it’s something people will be thinking about over the next couple of seasons.
Few players across the entire league deserve a Super Bowl more than Cam Heyward. But will he get there? Although he showed no signs of slowing down in 2024, most players tend to slow down after the age of 35.
Given that thought, one would hope the Steelers turn things around in the next couple of years. They’re not that far off from Super Bowl contention in terms of roster construction, but right now, there are too many holes for this team to be considered anything of that sort. If the Steelers can find success at quarterback, they might get a lot closer. For now, time is starting to run out on Heyward’s chances of lifting the Lombardi Trophy.
Recommended for you