In recent days, there’s been some national media buzz that Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin might opt to take some time off or leave the team on his own accord. While Cameron Heyward doesn’t have any idea what Tomlin’s future holds, he isn’t paying any mind to the rumors, and doesn’t seem to believe much of what is being put out there.
On his Not Just Football podcast, Heyward said he’s focusing on the Steelers’ upcoming AFC Wild Card game in Buffalo but added that there are a lot of things out there that are “full of crap,” including his own retirement rumors.
“We say this stuff every week. There is a new thing every single week. I don’t know what Mike T is thinking, I’m not asking him right now, I am focused on the damn Buffalo Bills,” Heyward said. “I will say this, just last week people were asking me if I was retiring, so that’s how full of crap this stuff is. My focus should be on playing football, my focus shouldn’t be if I’m about to retire. These people are too busy spreading false news rather than just letting us focus on football.”
Heyward also blasted a comment made by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’ Gerry Dulac in his weekly chat last week that Heyward would need to take a pay cut in 2024.
“I love people talking about my money. Like, if I did that to them, and said ‘Oh, let me look at what you make’ and say ‘Oh, you definitely need a pay cut.’ Excuse me?” Heyward said. “It’s just funny how people act, not to your face, but to other people, so I’ll just say that.”
The speculation about Tomlin and Heyward’s future came last week when there wasn’t a guarantee the Steelers would be in the playoffs. Obviously, in the locker room and on the field, the Steelers and Tomlin are focused on one singular goal, and that’s winning a Super Bowl. While the media might look ahead to the offseason and future seasons, that’s not happening inside the Steelers’ locker room. As Heyward said, right now, they’re focused on Buffalo and winning their first playoff game since 2016.
The Tomlin rumors came after weeks of speculation about his future in Pittsburgh, and whether the Steelers could look to move on and trade him while they were in the midst of a three-game losing streak. Since then, they rebounded to win three straight and the Tomlin speculation has now shifted to whether or not he will leave on his own accord. There’s obviously nothing concrete out there, and the rumors making it to the national media could be a leverage play by Tomlin and his agent to try and get more money in his next contract extension, which would come this offseason.
Frankly, it would be a pretty major shock if Tomlin left the Steelers this offseason, and Heyward isn’t worried about it. He’s also clearly not happy about his retirement rumors, which sparked when he said he won’t evaluate his options until after the season and talked about the 2023 season being rough on his body. Heyward missed time earlier this season with a groin/core muscle injury, but he’s someone who’s always held things close to the vest when it comes to his future and he’s not going to make any definitive declaration before the season ends.
With the Steelers in the playoffs, that’s the focus right now. There’s been a lot of noise and speculation surrounding this team all season, but the Steelers aren’t worried about it, and they’re keeping things in-house as they try to win Pittsburgh’s seventh Lombardi Trophy. We’ll see if they can get it done on Sunday.
Watch the full Not Just Football podcast below.
