For 15 seasons, Cam Heyward has been one of the defining faces of the Pittsburgh Steelers era under Mike Tomlin: a captain, a tone-setter and, as of 2023, the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year.
Now 36, with the Steelers sitting at 9-7 and atop the AFC North heading into Week 18 with a pivotal do-or-die game against the Baltimore Ravens, Heyward knows more and more people are asking the same question: how much longer will No. 97 be anchoring the middle of Pittsburgh’s defense?
In an exclusive interview with Heavy.com earlier in December, Heyward opened up about both his future and his legacy in Pittsburgh, and how he hopes fans will remember him when it’s finally over.
‘A Culmination’ of On-Field and Off-Field Work
Asked directly how he wants Steelers fans to remember him, Heyward didn’t start with sack totals or Pro Bowls.
“I think it’s a culmination of my work on the field, off the field, how I was intentional ever since I’ve gotten here, and trying to be a part of this community,” Heyward said. “And, you know, trying to win here.”
On the field, the resume is already stacked. Heyward has 92.0 career sacks, all with Pittsburgh, and has been a constant through coordinator changes, roster turnover and quarterback transitions.
He’s been selected to multiple Pro Bowls and, even in Year 15, has logged 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and 71 total tackles this season while helping a banged-up defense grind through another playoff race.
Off the field, Heyward’s Heyward House foundation — formally The Cameron Heyward Foundation — has grown into one of the league’s most active player-led charities, with programs aimed at tackling childhood hunger, fighting cancer, supporting students and teachers, and boosting childhood literacy across the Pittsburgh area.
The group’s work ranges from the “Cam’s Sacking Childhood Hunger” backpack food program to the “Pittsburgh is Stronger Than Cancer” initiatives and literacy projects in honor of his grandparents, who were longtime educators.
That combination — on-field production and community impact — is what Heyward wants people to see when they look back. Not a list of stats in isolation, but a body of work that fits Pittsburgh’s blue-collar image.
Year-by-Year Approach, But ‘Main Focus Is Right Here in Pittsburgh’
Heyward’s contract has been a storyline all season. The Steelers reworked his deal in September, adding more than $3 million in playoff-related incentives and allowing him to earn up to about $18 million in 2025, but beyond this year, his situation is less clear.
He told Heavy he’s well aware that the clock is ticking on every veteran, especially in the trenches.
“I take it year by year,” Heyward said. “I understand this game isn’t forever.”
At the same time, he made it clear where he wants to be finishing things.
“I think I’m locked in with the team I’m with, and I am only focused on playing good football in front of me,” he said. “Obviously I want to continue to be a Steeler. But we’ll see. I think my main focus is right here in Pittsburgh.”
When he spoke, the Steelers were 6-6 and coming off a frustrating loss to the Bills. He admitted then that the easiest way to quiet questions about his future was simple: win.
“We’ve got to start winning some more football games here so that can put that to rest,” he said.
Since then, Pittsburgh has ripped off three wins in four games, clinched its 22nd straight winning season and delivered Tomlin his 200th career victory, milestones that only underline how central Heyward has been to this era.
The Kind of Legacy Heyward Is Building in Pittsburgh
Heyward’s answer about legacy wasn’t hypothetical; he lives it.
Stories that have surfaced around Pittsburgh for years: surprise hospital visits, scholarship initiatives and quiet gestures that never make his stat sheet.
He knows the standard for defensive legends in this city is sky-high — from Joe Greene to Aaron Smith — and that one day fans will debate his case for the team’s Hall of Honor and beyond. For Heyward, the hope is that those conversations don’t stop at sacks and Pro Bowls.
If he has it his way, his legacy in Pittsburgh will be exactly what he told Heavy he’s been chasing from the start: a culmination of plays made, kids helped, and a city he tried to represent the right way, year after year, in black and gold.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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