Pro Football Focus put out its list of the top 25 players under 25 and its top 30 players over 30 in the NFL, and while the Steelers didn’t have anyone make the 25 under 25 list, they did have DL Cameron Heyward come in at No. 11 on the 30 over 30 list. PFF believes that it’s a “good bet” that Heyward is going to return to dominance after a 2023 season where he was plagued by injuries.
“Heyward battled injuries in 2023 and saw the first decline in his play, producing a 73.1 grade. He had posted six straight years of 84.5-plus PFF grades, so we’re either going to see a return to dominance or more decline in his play. Heyward has been so dominant for so long that it’s a good bet he will return to his former level of play,” John Kosko wrote.
For the Steelers, voluntary OTAs begin tomorrow, and Heyward won’t participate as he seeks a contract extension. It’s a deal that will likely get done at some point this summer, as Heyward is a key cog to the Steelers on and off the field. The longest-tenured player on the team, Heyward is also the team’s best run defender. He proved that last season even while playing through a core muscle injury he never fully recovered from.
Now healthy, Heyward should get back to his dominant self, and he’s going to need to as the Steelers’ d-line has a lot of question marks. Larry Ogunjobi hasn’t shown anything special, and while Keeanu Benton could very well take a big leap in Year 2, you can’t rely on that happening if you’re Pittsburgh. The team knows just how talented Heyward is when he’s healthy and keeping him around and keeping him happy is going to be important.
At age 35, there’s always a risk that Heyward could fall off, but he seemingly hasn’t lost any of his strength and it would be a surprise if he struggled this season. I agree with Kosko that Heyward has proven he can do it at a high level for so long that there shouldn’t be much of a worry about him returning to form after an injury-riddled 2023.
Obviously, most of the discourse around Heyward right now is whether or not he will get his extension and when, but I’m excited to see him hit the field and look to rebound in 2024. While he’s on the fringes right now, he’s put together a career that could warrant consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame if he can do just a little bit more on the field, and he’s a player who’s vital to Pittsburgh’s success this season.
Hopefully, the contract and off-field stuff will get taken care of and Cameron Heyward can just focus on dominating on the field again.
