Aaron Rodgers has declared that this will be his final NFL season. However, he’s not the only Pittsburgh Steelers veteran near the end of his career. Cam Heyward is 37 years old, only a little younger than Rodgers. Also, he’s a defensive lineman, and players at that position don’t normally play so deep into their 30s. Heyward is a unicorn, though. However, he can’t play forever, and he revealed Tuesday that the end is in sight for him.
“I don’t think it’s it,” Heyward saidon The Rich Eisen Show. “You’ve gotta see how the body feels. I’ve got 17 games, hopefully more, in me. We’ll see how we do after this long playoff run we have. I don’t like to jump the gun. But I will say, if this is not my last year, next year will definitely be my last year because, I have to say, we’re not signing anymore contracts after this.”
Heyward is signed through the 2027 season, and he previously stated that he thinks he’ll at least play out the rest of that deal. However, his words are much stronger here. It sounds like Heyward doesn’t plan on going through another round of contract negotiations with the Steelers.
He isn’t even ruling out walking away after this year. Considering his age and how much of a pounding his body has taken, that’s not too surprising. The fact that Heyward was still an All-Pro last year at 36 years old is incredible. He continues to defy Father Time.
Every player loses their superpowers eventually, though. Heyward will be 38 when his current deal expires, and if he were to somehow sign back to the Steelers for the 2028 season, he’ll be 39 years old.
That kind of longevity is rare to see out of any position, let alone defensive linemen. Some, like current Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Calais Campbell, have done it, but it’s a tall task.
Also, the state of the Steelers will likely heavily impact when Heyward decides to call it a career. He’s accomplished a lot in the NFL, but he still hasn’t won a Super Bowl. The Steelers want to compete for a championship this year, but there’s no telling what their realistic goal will be next year. With Rodgers retiring, they’ll need a new quarterback.
If they start over with a rookie or another young signal caller, then Heyward might not be inclined to stick around. Art Rooney II doesn’t like rebuilding, but there are some realities that come with playing in the NFL. A team can’t be in the mix for the Super Bowl every year.
Heyward has nothing left to prove. He’s had an excellent career and will ultimately have a good case to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day. He can walk away from the game whenever he feels like it’s time. While he sounds confident that he’s going to play in 2027, don’t expect anything beyond that.
