‘At 45, You Couldn’t Move Cam Out Of A Gap:’ Mike Tomlin Explains Why Heyward Has Aged Gracefully

This week, Cam Heyward should set the record for most games played for a Pittsburgh Steelers defensive player. Week 8 will mark Heyward’s 202nd game, an astounding number considering the position he plays. Most defensive lineman don’t age as gracefully as Heyward has, but Mike Tomlin explained that it’s his unique skill set that has allowed him to do so.

“In terms of why he’s able to be uniquely effective for a long period of time, he’s a power player who happens to be athletic,” Tomlin said Tuesday during his weekly press conference via the team’s YouTube channel. “Those power players grow old more gracefully than the oversized athletes. I’d imagine at 45, you couldn’t move Cam [Heyward] out of a gap. The power players generally age more gracefully, and he is a power player.”

Power is indeed the name of Heyward’s game. He’s had one of the best bull rushes in the NFL for a long time. He hasn’t racked up 83.5 sacks as an interior defensive lineman for nothing. Even at 35 years old, Heyward is still wrecking shop. Like Tomlin says, it doesn’t look like he intends on slowing down any time soon.

That’s probably part of the reason the Steelers felt comfortable giving Heyward a contract extension in early September. Usually, giving a boatload of money to an aging defensive lineman is a bad idea, but in Heyward’s case, the Steelers needed to pay him. He’s been the standard for the Steelers’ defense, acting as their heart and soul.

Heyward is tied with Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Donnie Shell for most games played by a defensive player in Steelers history. Look at all the Hall of Fame defenders the Steelers have employed. After Monday night, Heyward will have played more games than all of them.

It’s probably going to be a long time before anyone breaks that record, simply based on the fact that it’s a time-based merit. Heyward is in his 14th season, and he’s only really spent two seasons dealing with a major injury. That kind of longevity is rare.

For that reason, and so many more, the Steelers are lucky to have Heyward. Not only is he an incredible player on the field, but he might be a better person off it. There’s no one more deserving to be the longest-tenured defender in Steelers history.