Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward is pretty active in the media. So it probably should come as no surprise the All-Pro wasn’t shy about firing back at some online criticism regarding his 2026 play this week.
Steelers writer and podcast Jeremy Betz argued on X on Tuesday he thought Heyward isn’t showing the same level of play he has for a large majority of his 16-year NFL career.
“Well folks … for the first time in the Cam Heyward vs. Father Time battle, I think maybe Father Time has the upper hand,” wrote Betz.
“He’s by no means washed. But he just doesn’t have the explosiveness anymore.”
It took Heyward less than two hours to see the post and respond.
“Tell me you’re not watching games without telling me,” Heyward responded back with three laughing emojis.
In five games this season, Heyward has posted 17 combined tackles, including one for loss. He also has five quarterback hits, four pass defenses, one forced fumble and one sack.
Cameron Heyward Fires Back at Criticism From Steelers Writer
It’s probably safe to say Betz wasn’t expecting Heyward himself to respond back to his hot take. But that’s exactly what happened, which was pretty entertaining from a fan’s perspective.
One Steelers fan posted in response to the Betz-Heyward exchange that the defensive lineman “fried” the Steelers writer. A lot of other social media users defended Heyward and his play early this season.
Betz didn’t walk back his initial assessment, but he seemed to poke flaws in his own argument in his answer to Heyward.
“Easy to say from my couch, I know lol,” he wrote. “And I have no idea your individual assignment, so maybe I’m missing something.
“You still the GOAT tho, Cap!”
Heyward only has one sack and one tackle for loss this season, so it might be easy to miss the 37-year-old defensive lineman watching the games live. But sacks have never been the biggest part of Heyward’s game.
When Heyward is at his best, which has been the case for most of the past decade, he pressures the pocket, tips passes at the line of scrimmage and occupies multiple blockers against the run.
The Steelers run defense has mostly been average this season. But Heyward already has five quarterback hits and four pass defenses. Last season, he had nine quarterback hits and six pass defenses, which was good enough to make second-team All-Pro with only 3.5 sacks.
At his current pace, Heyward is on track to set a new career high in pass defenses. He could also approach 20 quarterback hits again if he stays healthy.
At 37 years old, Heyward doesn’t appear to be a passenger. The veteran remains one of the main reasons why the Steelers defensive line has a chance to be one of the top units at the end of the season.
Cameron Heyward Claps Back at Criticism From Steelers Pundit