Player: DL Cameron Heyward
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: Cameron Heyward continues to prove that age is just a number with his strong 2024 season. On Sunday against the Washington Commanders, he posted a two-sack game, his first since the 2022 season. Signed to a contract extension this offseason, he remains a critical part of the team at age 35.
Cameron Heyward’s critics have been deafeningly silent this season. So many, particularly Steelers fans, did not want the team to sign him to a contract extension. After all, he was coming off a major injury and was turning 35. Father Time is undefeated, but sometimes you can hold him off for a while. Like the Knight engaging Death in a game of chess in The Seventh Seal, Heyward is gaming the system.
And for now, he is winning. Inevitably, he will eventually lose, but for now, he looks like he can play at a high level for another few years. Such occurrences for defensive linemen are rare, but not unheard of. Calais Campbell is still contributing effectively at age 38 for the Miami Dolphins. Cameron Heyward could well follow in his footsteps, because he keeps his body right and understands his strengths.
Like when he long-armed his way to a sack Sunday against rookie Commanders QB Jayden Daniels. Heyward is no fool. He knows what he needs to do to win reps, and he has mastered his moves over the years.
That was one of two sacks on the day for Heyward, giving him five on the season. With eight games left to play, a double-digit season is within striking distance. Prior to last year’s injury-riddled campaign, he had posted double-digit sacks in consecutive seasons. In a sense, he is picking up where he left of the last time he was actually healthy.
On the season, Heyward has 35 tackles, including six for loss, and five sacks, 14 quarterback hits, and three passes defensed. He batted a pass down against the Commanders, his third in the last three games. If anything, with the Steelers monitoring his snaps, he is picking up steam as the season progresses.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
