Former Ohio State Legend Could End Career in Perfect Fashion

Cam Heyward is one of the NFL’s unsung heroes. The former first-round pick out of Ohio State joined the Pittsburgh Steelers just a few months after the storied franchise’s most recent Super Bowl appearance, and they’ve hardly gotten close to returning since.

It’s not for a lack of effort on Heyward’s part. He’s consistently been one of the highest-rated interior defensive linemen across the league for the better part of a decade, and he’s aged like a fine wine in the Steel City.

A 14-year vet, Heyward has made all seven of his career Pro Bowl selections in the past eight seasons, only missing out in 2023 when he missed six games due to injury. He’s also earned four 1st-Team All-Pro selections and a Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in that time while becoming the Steelers' second-best sack artist in franchise history, his 88.5 career sacks only trailing T.J. Watt.

Still, Heyward and the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game in a modern-era franchise-record eight seasons. Heyward has played his best football while the franchise has teetered closer and closer to mediocrity.

Pittsburgh is hoping that will all change with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. At 36 years old, the career clock is winding down for Heyward as he’s still in pursuit of his first Super Bowl appearance, let alone his first Lombardi Trophy.

Bleacher Report recently highlighted some of the league’s top veterans who could call the curtain on their careers soon, and Heyward was the first player mentioned. If the Steelers can make a 2020-Tampa Bay-like run, it would give Heyward the chance to go out on top like Jerome Bettis did for the franchise in 2006.

B/R highlighted that there is more to it than seeing a franchise player go out in the best way possible. Heyward’s contract structure could see him become a cap casualty candidate next offseason, especially if the Rodgers experiment blows up negatively and forces a rebuilding situation.

Heyward has made it clear in the past that he doesn’t want to play for another franchise and would prefer to retire having only worn the black and gold like Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu before him. But those guys went out with Super Bowl rings, and Heyward only has one playoff win on his resume. All of the Steelers’ eggs are in the 2025 basket to get the best Buckeye in franchise history a chance at a glorious end to a stellar career.