The 2023 season was a very difficult one for standout Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, who suffered a groin injury early, missed six games while on Injured Reserve, and then wasn’t himself once he returned to the lineup in Week 9.
That tough season led to another surgery this offseason to clean things up in an effort to get Heyward back to full strength and ready to be an impact defender again in 2024.
Heyward has generated quite a bit of buzz this week sitting out voluntary OTAs while wanting a contract extension from the Steelers. In the process though, Heyward has earned quite a bit of praise ahead of his age-35 season, especially from Pro Football Focus.
In a piece highlighting the top 10 players to watching the 2024 season that are coming back from injury, Heyward was among a group of star players who suffered injuries last season that kept them off the field.
“A groin injury led Heyward to play his fewest snaps since 2012, and he also didn’t look like his usually unblockable self. The veteran’s 21 pressures were his fewest since 2016 and a far cry from his six straight seasons of accumulating at least 58,” PFF’s Bradley Locker writes. “The 2024 season shapes up to be a massive one for Heyward and his longevity, with the 35-year-old intending to renegotiate his contract before hitting free agency this offseason.
“Pittsburgh got a good contribution from rookie defensive lineman Keeanu Benton, but the bottom line is its defense is, in many ways, anchored by No. 97. If Heyward doesn’t look like his pre-2023 self, it might spell bad omens for Pittsburgh.”
While the Steelers’ defense has plenty of stars, including T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Patrick Queen and Alex Highsmith, it largely goes as Heyward goes.
With him out of the lineup last season, the Steelers struggled to stop the run, leading to some issues though the Steelers went 4-2 without him in the lineup.
Once Heyward returned though, the Steelers’ defense took a significant jump from a run defense standpoint, even with Heyward not being his usually dominant self. His presence alone was a factor though. He’ll be back for the 2024 season and should be fully healthy following offseason surgery.
If he’s fully healthy and can get back to his usual dominant self, look out. He showed flashes of it in the Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills, which was rather encouraging.
But if he can’t be the Heyward everyone has grown to know and love in the Black and Gold, well, it could be a real problem for the Steelers, who didn’t exactly add any truly inspiring high-end talent along the defensive line in the offseason.
All eyes will be on Heyward, for better or worse, especially with him wanting a new extension. It will be great to see him back healthy and active on the field, especially after seeing him battle through each week late in the season in which he was clearly limited.
