Steelers' Cameron Heyward gets surprising ranking on PFSN's Top 100 Players list

There is simply no denying Heyward’s excellence. At 36 years old, he has continued to dominate in the trenches. In 2024, Heyward put up some impressive numbers, including 47 defensive stops, eight sacks and 56 total pressures, which ranked fifth. He also had a 12% pressure rate, which ranked ninth amongst all DTs. Very few veterans are this productive late in their careers, and his leadership continues to be the heart of the Steelers' identity. 

While a fantastic player, placing him as the second-best player in the entire NFL feels like a bit of a stretch. This is not to knock Heyward's impact; it is simply about context. T.J. Watt remains the best player on this defense, and also the most impactful. The 2021 Defensive Player of the Year has been a consistently dominant pass-rusher and remains a top 15-level player nearly every year. Arguably, Watt is one of the best non-quarterbacks in the NFL, which makes it hard to justify placing Heyward ahead of him. 

Beyond his own team, players like Patrick Mahomes, Myles Garrett, Saquon Barkley and Ja’Marr Chase continue to perform at historic levels. Heyward is among them as an all-time great, but labeling him as a better player diminishes the dominance of others, who are in their physical prime and arguably more impactful snap-to-snap. 

That said, Heyward’s placement shows that others still believe he is a top player in the league, and it is sort of understandable. He has been dominating competition for years and rarely ever misses time. The ranking is a nod to his full body of work over a long period of time. He is a clear future Hall of Famer and a consistent Pro Bowl caliber player. 

Despite the controversial ranking, Heyward is still playing like a top-30 player in the league, and despite a long tenured career with wear and tear, it is an incredible feat to be ranked this high on anyone's list.