Cam Heyward isn’t focusing on his post-career accolades. If anything, he’s playing for the moment to add to his eventual and final NFL resume. He intends to play another three seasons to add to all that he’s done so far. But one NFL historian believes if Heyward hung up his cleats today, he’d be enshrined in Canton.
John Turney entertained for the question in a Tuesday “State Your Case” article for Talk of Fame TWO, a website that covers all things Hall of Fame and legacy related. Turney noted Heyward is a curious case who doesn’t fit neatly into a single bucket, a defensive end who has shifted roles and alignments throughout his career. It makes his career more difficult to compare to others.
“As it is, his three All-Pros are similar to others who played his position — a 3-4 defensive end in a base defense and a defensive tackle in passing downs. Howie Long did that. So did Richard Seymour. Both were All-Pro three times, with Long going to eight Pro Bowls and Seymour seven.”
Heyward began his career as a true base defensive end, a five-tech playing outside shoulder of the offensive tackle. His primary role was to stuff the run, take on double-teams and free up the linebackers. Including his first two seasons spent mostly on the bench, Heyward had just 25 sacks through six years, failing to make a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team. A Hall of Fame conversation seemed like the furthest thing away.
But Pittsburgh’s defense evolved post-Dick LeBeau. Heyward began shifting more to four-tech (inside shoulder of the tackle) and three-tech as the Steelers played more sub-package. Just as importantly, the team began asking its linemen to create pass rush havoc. Heyward and Stephon Tuitt teamed up to form one of the NFL’s top defensive tackle duos. In 2017, Heyward broke out with a 12-sack season, earning his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro bid. From 2017-2022, he made the Pro Bowl every year, was selected to three All-Pro teams, and registered 53.5 sacks.
Working against Heyward are a couple things that Turney outlined. The lack of a championship or really any postseason success. It matters less for a defensive lineman than a quarterback, but Heyward has just one playoff win and has never played in the Super Bowl, much less won it. Heyward also won’t be named to an All-Decade team while his overall sack totals are lower than some of his peers.
Still, those who watched and played against Heyward understand how dominant he’s been. That’s enough to earn him a gold jacket. That was Turney’s ultimate conclusion.
“Heyward should be seen through the same lens as Hall-of-Famers Howie Long, Richard Seymour, Dan Hampton and Joe Klecko. They were versatile, almost positionless, defensive linemen who didn’t produce a slew of sacks, dominated the middle and were enshrined.
If Cam Heyward is viewed that way, then we have the answer to our original question. If he were to retire now, then, yes, he’s done enough to warrant a Gold Jacket.”
Earlier in the offseason, we noted the vast majority of true defensive linemen with at least 90 career sacks are in the Hall of Fame. Given the rest of Heyward’s resume, reaching that figure would give him historically strong odds of entering Canton. He sits 9.5 sacks away from that mark, a figure he’ll push for in 2024.
