Cameron Heyward has a bit of an interesting feat going on where he’s sacked seven of the nine Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks who have entered the league and played a snap since 2010. Heyward has taken down Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, Cam Newton, Baker Mayfield, Marcus Mariota and Johnny Manziel. Op to this point, he hasn’t sacked Bryce Young or Jameis Winston because he hasn’t played against either.
That could change this season. Winston is now on the Browns and the Steelers and Cleveland are set to match up in Weeks 12 and 14 although the Steelers don’t play Carolina this season. Still, Heyward wants to sack both Young and Winston and add them to the list of Heisman winners he’s brought down in the NFL.
“I would love to add them to the collection. It’s like Thanos collecting the Infinity Stones. You just wanna pick this one off, pick this one off. It’s a cool feat to talk about. These are all guys I’ve admired throughout my college career and NFL career, so it’s a great cast of characters. And we’ll just keep at ’em,” Heyward said on Up & Adams today.
Heyward also will need to add Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels to the list, and he’ll have his shot at Daniels in Week 10 this season when the Steelers play the Commanders. Barring an injury or poor performance out of Deshaun Watson, it’s unlikely that Heyward will get a chance to bring down Winston. But it’ll be cool to see him try to build on his feat and bring down as many former Heisman winners as possible.
Of course, it’s worked in Heyward’s favor that four of the seven Heisman winners he’s already sacked play or played in the AFC North in Burrow, Jackson, Mayfield, and Manziel. Lack of opportunity could wind up being the reason that Heyward doesn’t get to add to his list. Pittsburgh isn’t slated to play Young and the Panthers until 2026, but if he stays in Pittsburgh, he could get a look at Williams and the Bears next season.
Heyward only has one year left on his contract, however, and if he and the Steelers don’t agree to an extension, there’s a chance that 2024 is his last season in Pittsburgh. He wants to keep playing football, and if the Steelers keep him in the Black and Gold to finish his career, the team’s defensive captain will look to continue to build his legacy and keep sacking Heisman winners for as long as he keeps playing football.
