It was a rather disappointing 2023 season for Pittsburgh Steelers standout defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, one that has many questioning if he can remain a dominant force moving forward at the age of 35.
For Pro Football Focus’s Steve Palazzolo and Sam Monson, Heyward remains an elite defender when healthy and should be given the benefit of the doubt.
During a recent discussion regarding the top three players on the Steelers roster on the latest PFF NFL Show, Monson and Palazzolo made the case that Heyward should remain among the top three for at least another season, holding off the likes of outside linebacker Alex Highsmith and wide receiver George Pickens from joining safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and outside linebacker T.J. Watt.
“Coming off of bad year injured last season. Was that his decline? I mean, Heyward is 35 now, but I think all of the best seasons of his career have come post-30,” Monson said of Heyward, according to video via the PFF YouTube page. “So have we reached the point where Heyward is on the way down or did he just get hurt last year and not play his best football and next year at 35 you’re still gonna get an elite defensive lineman?”
As Monson points out, the best years of Heyward’s career have come after he turned 30 years old. That typically isn’t the case for players in the NFL, especially along the defensive line. But Heyward has bucked convention and has gotten better each year of his career, becoming an elite-level player around the age of 30 and not slowing down.
Injuries derailed his season in 2023 though, which seems to have caused some concern about Heyward moving forward, bringing up the age issue once again, and for some reason, health. Prior to last season, Heyward rarely missed time and hadn’t missed more than one game in a season since 2016.
Even with the derailed season, once Heyward got back on the field in 2023, his presence alone was huge for the Steelers defensively, especially against the run. He looked like his usual dominant self in the Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills, too, which was rather encouraging.
For Palazzolo, one player comes to mind when it comes to Heyward still doing it at a high level at this age. That would be former Baltimore Ravens’ defensive lineman Calais Campbell.
“Calais Campbell comes to mind with Heyward. A guy like him, a similar career path where maybe the best work was in the thirties,” Palazzolo said of Heyward. “And Campbell slowed down a little bit, was still really good and effective though. So I think Heyward has more in the tank, but is it enough?”
Heyward certainly still has more in the tank. Last season was an aberration. He had always been healthy, then tweaked his groin in training camp and tore it early in the season-opener against the San Francisco 49ers. It required surgery and he rushed back. Once he rushed back, he wasn’t himself while largely playing on one leg.
But after another surgery this offseason, Heyward is seemingly back to full health. Wanting a new contract from the Steelers and hearing all the noise about the concerns of his age and decline in play, Heyward is entering the 2024 season with a massive chip on his shoulder.
