Even at the age of 34, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward is still one of the top interior linemen in the league. In 2022 alone, Heyward had 10.5 sacks, the third season in his career where he has reached double-digit sacks. He also had 74 total tackles, only the third season in his career with over 70 total tackles.
However, there’s no question Heyward is battling the true undefeated opponent: time. Pat Kirwan, host of the Movin’ The Chains show on SiriusXM NFL Radio, recently spoke with a caller who had some questions regarding the Steelers’ defensive line. Kirwan’s grades for Pittsburgh’s defensive line and edge rushers were the main topic of conversation, which meant that Heyward’s name came up.
Kirwan still thinks quite highly of Heyward’s play but his age leaves the analyst concerned.
“My biggest fear for you is that Cam Heyward’s getting long in the tooth,” Kirwan answered the caller. “He can’t keep playing as many plays as he plays.”
Per Pro Football Focus, Heyward was in on 801 defensive snaps in 2022. That was roughly 75% of the team’s defensive snaps. While there’s no question that Heyward made a big impact and had one of the best seasons of his career, it may not be the best for Heyward or the Steelers’ defense to continue that high snap count.
It’s a tight line that defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, head coach Mike Tomlin, and Heyward himself will have to walk in 2023. Everyone wants Heyward to make as big an impact as possible. However, if the Steelers want to get back to the playoffs and win their first playoff game since the 2016 season, the team needs Heyward healthy and energetic late in the season.
That means finding a way to drop Heyward’s snap count down without limiting his opportunities to make plays as well as harming the defense as a whole. General manager Omar Khan was likely looking at how to help that when he spent a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft on defensive tackle Keeanu Benton.
Now no one expects Benton to come in and supplant Heyward, nor should they. Benton was a quality defensive tackle for the University of Wisconsin. He played 39 games across four seasons and finished with 81 total tackles, 19 tackles for a loss, and nine sacks.
What Benton does provide is depth on the defensive line. He’s a large man, checking in at the NFL Scouting Combine at 6-foot-4, 309 pounds. He also proved to be a bit of a disruptor in his senior season with 10 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks.
If Benton can come in and get his feet under him, he could help drop Heyward’s snap count even further. That means when Heyward is on the field, he might have a little more juice in his legs.
The goal for the Steelers is to maintain Heyward’s impact while allowing him to stay fresh. If that happens, expect Heyward to continue to fight off age just like he does offensive linemen en route to another quality year deep into his career.
