Cameron Heyward, 34, is in his 13th NFL season and is getting closer to the finish of his career than the start.
That is the reality of being an NFL player.
Prior to suffering a groyne injury that put him on the Injured Reserve list, the seasoned defensive captain of the Pittsburgh Steelers and perennial Pro Bowler had recorded at least 10 sacks in each of the previous two seasons. However, NFL careers don’t last forever, especially for physical maulers like the former first-round pick. With two years remaining on his current deal, Heyward even acknowledged during the off-season that, as his career comes to an end, his end-of-season observations are growing longer.
For me, the reflection time was lengthy,” Heyward remarked in June. It’s just realising that I have more years left in my tank. I can’t wait to keep going after it and working to solve this problem so I can win a Super Bowl.
Though Heyward, who is expected to return later in the season, may still have years left in him, the Steelers are experiencing life after Heyward sooner than expected. This Monday Night Football game against the Cleveland Browns is the first example of this.
DeMarvin Leal, a defensive end in his second year, stated this week that “it’s definitely the next generation up.”
The intangibles of Heyward’s experience and leadership are hard to replace, but the Steelers have been carefully planning for his eventual departure through free agency and the draft for a number of years.
Leal, who the Steelers selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, participated in 25 defensive snaps during the defeat on Sunday despite having to play through a triceps injury that he had suffered during the game. The Steelers have selected three defensive linemen in the last three years, including 2021 fifth-round pick Isaiahh Loudermilk and 2023 second-round pick Keeanu Benton. Leal is one of them. The Steelers signed defensive end Larry Ogunjobi in 2022 and extended him this offseason in addition to signing defensive end Armon Watts and experienced nose tackle Breiden Fehoko before training camp.
The defensive line proved to be one of the more competitive position groupings during the team’s month-long stay in Latrobe, as evidenced on cut-down day.
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