On a yearly basis, the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ defense sets one of the higher floors in the NFL. While the other side of the ball has recently limited the ceiling, one can always count on Teryl Austin’s group to deliver.
One member of that committee, however, struggled in 2023. Luckily for Pittsburgh, he came roaring back with a great 2024 campaign. As a result, Cameron Heyward is once again viewed as a top 10 defensive tackle in all of football.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has revealed the results of his annual league survey. After polling coaches, scouts and executives, Fowler reports that Heyward rose from a 2024 honorable mention to the No. 10-ranked tackle ahead of the 2025 season.
Good Health Helped Cameron Heyward Fight Off Father Time in 2024
One simple thing contributed to Heyward’s year-over-year improvement. It was just a matter of him getting back on the field full-time and making the most of those reps.
“He was healthier,” an AFC executive said, per Fowler. “Got past the nagging injuries from 2023 and performed back up to his standard. He’s been good for a long time.”
Indeed, Heyward looked like a more functional player last year. In 2023, he nursed an early-season groin injury and just didn’t have the same explosiveness upon his return. He also entered concussion protocol late in the year, although that didn’t cause him to miss games. Last season, the seven-time Pro Bowler played in all 17 regular-season contests and logged 778 snaps on defense. That was good for 71% of those available.
In those opportunities, Heyward came through in a major way. In addition to 71 tackles (12 for loss), he had 20 quarterback hits, 11 passes defended and 8 sacks. According to Pro Football Focus, he had top-five rankings in overall grade (first), pass rush grade (third) and run defense grade (fourth). It’s no surprise that being a first-team All-Pro led to Heyward bouncing back in the eyes of intelligent football minds.
Steelers’ Defensive Line Destined for Continued Greatness This Season
Sure, the buzz surrounding a new-look offense is deserved. The trio of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, wideout DK Metcalf and tight end Jonnu Smith should be exciting. With that said, the offense may have some variance. The defense, on the other hand, likely won’t. That’s because of what Heyward and company bring to the table on a weekly basis.
Players like Heyward, T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and even rookie Derrick Harmon are projected to turn in good 2025 seasons. PFF itself recently ranked the Steelers’ defensive line as the top group in the sport. There’s not only a defined role for several players, but most of them execute at a high level within the system. Even if Harmon struggles, for instance, it won’t derail the pass rush.
Of course, it’d be unfair to not acknowledge the specific downside of Heyward. Entering year 15 in the NFL, he’s 36 years old. The next-oldest player in Fowler’s rankings, Leonard Williams of the Seattle Seahawks, is “only” 31. Given Heyward’s combination of age, workload and not-so-distant injury history, it wouldn’t shock anyone if he finally fell victim to Father Time. Some would actually anticipate that, which is reasonable.
But until then, No. 97 is getting some well-deserved flowers for responding to adversity.
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