Steelers’ Cameron Heyward Sounds Off on Practice Squad Elevation

Getty Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward was highly complimentary of practice squad elevation and safety Eric Rowe after Week 18.

In the middle of December, it looked like it was going to be a long end of the season for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense. The team’s safeties and inside linebackers had been dropping like flies, and as a result, Cameron Heyward and the Steelers defense was struggling to do a lot of things that the unit had previously done right when healthy.

But practice squad elevations such as safety Eric Rowe helped steady things.

After a third straight Pittsburgh victory in Week 18, Heyward sent Rowe major praise during his postgame press conference.

“Man, I don’t know how he wasn’t on a damn team,” Heyward told reporters. “But man, that dude has just balled out, and we’ve needed every bit of it.”

Rowe, who turned 31 in October, wasn’t on an NFL team for two months this season. The Carolina Panthers released the safety on September 19. The Steelers then signed Rowe following Week 11.

After being inactive in the first 15 weeks of the season, Rowe dressed in all three of Pittsburgh’s victories to end the regular season. He recorded 29 combined tackles, including 1 tackle for loss, 2 pass defenses, 1 forced fumble and 1 interception in those three contests.

What Eric Rowe Has Brought for Cameron Heyward, Steelers Defense

The Steelers signed Rowe to their practice squad on November 20. As it turned out, it was one of the team’s most important signings of 2023.

Safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Trenton Thompson both exited Week 15 with injuries. That week, the Steelers also lost safety Damontae Kazee to an ejection and subsequent suspension.

That left head coach Mike Tomlin with little choice but to elevate Rowe for Week 16. Rowe rewarded Tomlin with great safety play, filling a giant hole in Pittsburgh’s defense.

Rowe played 95% of the team’s defensive snaps in his Steelers debut on December 23. He then played 86% and 91% of the team’s snaps on defense in Weeks 17 and 18, respectively.

Rowe recorded at least 10 combined tackles against both the Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens. He posted a team-high 12 combined tackles and forced a fumble in the 17-10 victory versus the Ravens on January 6.

Without Rowe, along with fellow practice squad elevation and inside linebacker Myles Jack, it’s very unlikely the Steelers would be in position to make the postseason with a Jacksonville Jaguars or Buffalo Bills loss on January 7.

Can the Steelers Elevate Rowe From Practice Squad for Potential Playoff Game?

During the regular season, the maximum amount of times an NFL team can elevate a player from the practice squad is three. Rowe, along with Jack, have been elevations for the Steelers each of the last three weeks.

But fortunately for Pittsburgh, the rules are different during the postseason. There is no limit to the amount of times a team can elevate a practice squad player for game days.

That means Rowe, and any other Steelers practice squad player, can appear in however many postseason contests Pittsburgh might play.

Rowe is in his ninth NFL season. He began his career as a second-round pick for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015. But the Eagles traded Rowe to the New England Patriots ahead of his second season.

With the Patriots, Rowe won two Super Bowls in three seasons. Afterwards, he played four years for the Miami Dolphins.

In nine years, Rowe has posted 410 combined tackles, including 8 tackles for loss, 43 pass defenses, 6 interceptions and 2 sacks.

Given his level of play the past three games, it is odd that Rowe didn’t have a job for much of the 2023 season. But Heyward certainly sounded pleased he was available for the Steelers.