In the NFL, Father Time eventually catches everyone, but some players make it harder than others. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cam Heyward continues to be an ageless wonder. Last year, in his 14th NFL season, Heyward was named a first-team All-Pro after posting eight sacks. Despite all of his accomplishments, the seven-time Pro Bowler is not getting complacent heading into his 15th season in the league, working on adding things to his game.
“I think one is just me being better with my pass rush, mixing it up a little bit more,” Heyward said Wednesday on the This Is Football podcast. “But then also another big thing for me is create more turnovers. I have one of the best defenders in the league that creates turnovers and I’m never too proud to ask questions and see if I can add anything to my game.”
While Heyward has been one of the best interior pass rushers of the last several years, he hasn’t forced a lot of turnovers. He hasn’t forced a fumble since the 2022 season. And in his career Heyward has only forced eight fumbles. That’s a low number for such a productive player.
However, like he mentions, Heyward has a teammate that’s one of the best in the league at forcing turnovers. T.J. Watt is a master at punching the ball out. Last year, he led the league with six forced fumbles. In his eight-year NFL career, Watt has accumulated 33 forced fumbles and seven interceptions. He does a great job of getting after the ball.
It’s wise of Heyward to go to Watt for advice in that department. However, while he doesn’t create turnovers, Heyward gets his hands on the ball in other ways. For example, Heyward is one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL at batting passes down at the line of scrimmage. In 2024, he had 11 pass defensed, with 58 total in his career.
If Heyward can pick up some tips on knocking the ball loose, that should make the Steelers’ defense even more lethal. They’ve got a ton of talent. The key will be fitting all the pieces together. At this point in his career, Heyward wants a championship more than anything else. Stealing extra possessions for the Steelers’ offense should help get him closer to that goal.