The Pittsburgh Steelers have had more roster turnover than ever in recent years, but one staple that has been with the team for over a decade has been veteran defensive lineman Cam Heyward. The organization drafted Heyward in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, and he has been one of the best defenders in the NFL throughout his career. He has often been overshadowed by other premiere athletes on the defensive line, but his career has outlasted nearly all of them. He has been a fixture in Pittsburgh, and he bounced back in a huge way during the 2024 season as he was named a First-Team All-Pro.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Cameron Heyward gets ready for a play against the Ravens in Week 16 of the 2024 season.
One of the more exciting things that happens in NFL games a couple of times a year is when a player scores a touchdown who normally wouldn't, specifically on a designed offensive play. JJ Watt was famous for doing this during his time with the Houston Texans, and it has happened on plenty of other occasions.
Coaches will put in a big defender on the goal line to take the ball into the end zone, and Heyward recently told a story on his podcast, Not Just Football With Cam Heyward, about how Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith had an idea to do that.
"H**l no," Heyward said. "Tomlin wouldn't let me do anything on offense, Arthur Smith was around me and was like, 'Hey, we need to sneak you in on offense.' And Mike T. was like, 'We ain't doing that. That's not happening.' He really did. I've seen JJ Watt catch all those passes for all those years, and I'm like, 'D**n, I can't get one?' I can't get a Dontari Poe into the end zone? Where do I fall on the totem pole in getting into the end zone on offense?"
Smith wanted to sneak Heyward in on offense, probably down around the goal line. Heyward remembered Watt's touchdowns, and he remembered when the Kansas City Chiefs did this with big defensive tackle Dontari Poe twice back in 2015 and 2016. He just wants the chance to score a touchdown, especially now that his career is coming to a close.
The Pivot Podcast
Steelers' Cam Heyward speaking on The Pivot Podcast with his former teammate Ryan Clark.
While it would be exciting for fans to see Heyward lineup on offense with the chance of scoring a touchdown, it was probably the right decision from Head Coach Mike Tomlin to shut the idea down. Heyward was coming off of a season in 2023 where he struggled mightily with injuries, and he is also 36-years old.
The time to let Heyward get some touches on offense was earlier in his career, and now doing something like that isn't a possibility. He is too important to the defense to potentially allow him to get hurt on the other side of the ball.
Pittsburgh doesn't usually use too many gimmick plays. The most memorable one in recent memory was when Chris Boswell fired a touchdown pass to Alejandro Villanueva during the 2018 season on a fake field goal, but that has been pretty much it.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Former Steelers QB Russell Wilson holds his hand on his heart with Head Coach Mike Tomlin and defensive leader Cam Heyward before a home game in Pittsburgh.
Steelers Can Get Heyward In The End Zone If The Season Goes Awry
The 2025 season is very boom or bust for the Steelers. All of the roster turnover is interesting as it could be said that the organization has upgraded on both sides of the ball, but the lack of continuation from the 2024 season is a bit concerning.
Pittsburgh could certainly wind up with double-digit wins and a playoff birth, but there is also a world where the Steelers are playing in meaningless games at the end of the year as the team has already been eliminated. If that is what ends up happening, that would be the perfect time to allow Heyward to line up on offense to score the first touchdown of his career.
What do you think about Heyward's story? Let us know in the comments below!
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