Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward might find himself sitting at home on the couch watching playoff football like the rest of us, which is a bitter pill to swallow, but he’s not letting that dampen his mood when it comes to his feelings for former Steelers teammates still in the playoffs.
That specifically centers on Detroit Lions cornerback Cameron Sutton and defensive lineman Tyson Alualu.
Appearing on the latest episode of his podcast Not Just Football with Cam Heyward,” the veteran defensive lineman broke down the weekend’s divisional round matchups. He also expressed how proud he is of Alualu and Sutton, who helped the Lions defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday at Ford Field and punch their ticket to the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers.
“I gotta give a shout-out to my former Steelers. Cam Sutton going on to an NFC Championship Game. Tyson Alualu getting signed with three weeks left in the season. We were texting back and forth. He goes from the couch to the championship. I was just like, ‘Man, I’m proud of you, dude,'” Heyward said regarding his former teammates, according to video via the NFL on ESPN YouTube page.
Alualu, who last played for the Steelers in 2022, appeared set to ride off into retirement after not landing a job for the 2023 season at the age of 36. But on Dec, 5, Alualu hooked on with the Lions, signing to the practice squad under Detroit head coach Dan Campbell as the Lions were dealing with some injuries along the defensive line.
After being on the sideline much of the 2023 season, Alualu worked himself into game shape and has been a solid rotational piece for the Lions in the playoffs. Late in the regular season, Alualu saw action against the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings, playing 67 snaps defensively.
In the Wild Card Round Alualu played 22 snaps in Detroit’s 24-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams, and then played a number of snaps against the Buccaneers, making an impact for Detroit.
Heyward, who watched both games Sunday, stated that Alualu should have had a sack in the second half against the Buccaneers, but officials made the wrong call.
On the play, Alualu got pressure on Baker Mayfield, causing the Tampa Bay QB to fall toward the turf. In the process, Mayfield was able to throw the ball to the sideline and past the line of scrimmage while outside of the tackle box, avoiding a grounding penalty.
However, replay showed Mayfield’s leg was down on should have been a sack for Alualu, who had one tackle and one quarterback hit on the day.
“He should have got a sack, dude. Like, I wish Detroit had challenged,” Heyward said. “There was a play late or a play midway through the game where Baker was being by harassed by Tyson Alualu And Baker is on his way down, is falling, and he throws it out of bounds. But in hindsight, Baker’s calf actually touched the ground, which would’ve counted as a sack for Tyson.
“But man, you gotta be happy for him.”
Here’s the play Heyward was referring to.
Heyward is ecstatic for his friend and former teammate, who went from being on the couch to now one win away from playing for a Super Bowl ring, something Alualu does not have on his resume.
A former top-10 pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars, Alualu had played in just two playoff games prior to this season — both losses with the Steelers. Now, he’s 2-2 in the playoffs in his career and gets the chance to play in another playoff game, this time on the road against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game Sunday in what is very likely his final season in the NFL.
As for Sutton, who signed a three-year, $33 million deal in free agency with the Lions, it’s a long time coming for the cornerback. He had played in just three playoff games during his tenure with the Steelers, losing all three games. Now, he’s one win away from a Super Bowl appearance while holding down a key role in the secondary for Detroit.
