In his mid-30s and showing no signs of slowing down, Cam Heyward fought Father Time and a host of doubters last season. Coming off a 2023 groin injury that left many questioning what he had left in the tank, Heyward had arguably one of the better seasons of his venerable career. Starting all 17 games, he racked up eight sacks, played elite run defense, and was named to his seventh Pro Bowl and fourth first-team All-Pro squad. His borderline Hall of Fame status may have just swung into Gold Jacket territory.
An encore performance won’t be easy. Heyward’s celebrating his 36th birthday today and history offers just a few examples of defensive tackles in his shoes. But if there’s a model to follow, it’s Calais Campbell.
Like Heyward, Campbell is defying the odds. Turning 39 in September, Campbell remains in the league, signing a one-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals in April and re-joining the team that drafted him. To put the timeline in perspective, when Campbell was a rookie, Mike Tomlin was in his second year coaching the Steelers. Heyward was a sophomore at Ohio State.
Campbell has hung around because he’s remained productive. Here are his sack numbers over his last three seasons.
2022 (Age-36 Season): 5.5 sacks
2023 (Age-37 Season): 6.5 sacks
2024 (Age-38 Season): 5.0 sacks
Like Heyward, Campbell has been a stout run stopper. Per Pro Football Focus, he’s ranked top 11 in each of those three seasons, including finishing No. 1 among NFL interior linemen last season.
Nothing slows these guys down. They’re the Toyota Hilux from Top Gear. No matter what happens, no more your surety of their time being up, they keep on ticking.
In the modern day of big defensive linemen, Cam Heyward and Calais Campbell make up a short list of players still playing at their ages, let alone playing well. We’ve noted the drop-off with players in their shoes before. Warren Sapp, for example, falling off a cliff after turning 35 in what would become his final season.
But each player is unique, and Heyward certainly qualifies. What he did last year was rare. Coming back and doing it again in 2025 won’t be easy but all he has to do is look toward Campbell, still rolling along in the league, for proof it can be done.
