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Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward entered Year 15 when training camp started for the team ahead of the 2025 season, and he’s still performing at a high level.
Heyward played all 17 games for the Steelers last year and recorded 11 pass breakups and eight sacks on his way to his fourth First-Team All-Pro selection. But with training camp opening up, saying goodbye to his family for a few weeks appears to be getting tougher for the 36-year-old.
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Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) participates in drills during training camp at Saint Vincent College on July 27, 2023 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. (Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports)
He expressed it as much in a social media post on Wednesday.
“Hardest part of camp is kissing my kids goodbye,” he wrote on X.
Luckily for Heyward, he’s been with the Steelers for his entire career and is unlikely to play anywhere else as it winds down. Heyward was born in Pittsburgh but played high school football in Georgia before he attended Ohio State. The Steelers selected him in the first round of the 2011 draft, and he’s been in the black and gold ever since.
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Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Cameron Heyward during AFC Practice for the Pro Bowl Games at Camping World Stadium on Feb. 1, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
Heyward has 88.5 sacks, 718 tackles and 199 QB hits in 211 games for the Steelers.
He is still set to start on a defensive line that’s projected to include rookie Derrick Harmon and Keeanu Benton. T.J. Watt, Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson and Alex Highsmith will likely be the linebackers behind them.
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) celebrates with fans following a game against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium on Dec. 8, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Barry Reeger/Imagn Images)
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The Steelers were 10-7 in 2024, making the playoffs for the fourth time in five years. Despite the struggling offense, the defense was still top-notch. Pittsburgh ranked eighth in points allowed and 12th in yards allowed.
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