Father Time is undefeated, but right now he’s having one heck of a fight — and losing — against Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward.
At 36 years old and in his 15th NFL season, Heyward continues to be a force.
The sack numbers might not be there so far this season, but Heyward continues to play at a high level and remains a real game-changer in the trenches.
For Pro Football Focus, what Heyward is doing this season is remarkable, and it’s why he joins the Cleveland Browns’ Maliek Collins as the defensive linemen on PFF’s midseason All-Pro team.
“What Heyward is accomplishing at almost 37 years old is nothing short of incredible,” PFF writes. “His 90.3 PFF overall grade leads all interior defenders, and he is the only player at the position to have earned 80.0-plus PFF grades both as a pass rusher and a run defender. ”
Heyward has played 401 snaps this season, playing 43 or more snaps in every game, including five games with 50 or more. He’s not slowing down anytime soon, and the numbers back that up.
This is why @CamHeyward is respected. Dude talks the talk, and walks the walk. Incredible effort at 36 years old. 2 plays from 2nd Half yesterday:
And yea – still has some shock in those mitts. pic.twitter.com/4M61UmF5Id
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) November 3, 2025
In 264 pass-rush snaps, Heyward has generated 23 pressures. That’s helped him generate a PFF 84.7 pass-rush grade, keeping him among the league’s best.
Though those 23 pressures have translated to just 1.5 sacks, he remains a disruptive force. When he’s not getting to the passer, Heyward continues to get his hands up in passing lanes at an elite level. Heyward has five passes defensed this season, including two in Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts.
Two of those passes defensed led directly to Steelers interceptions, with Nick Herbig picking off a batted pass against Seattle and Brandin Echols picking off a pass in the end zone against the New England Patriots.
In a marquee matchup in Week 9 against Colts All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson, Heyward had a great day, winning numerous pass-rush reps and giving one of the best linemen in football fits.
It’s not just rushing the passer with Heyward, either. While the Steelers have had their struggles defending the run this season, Heyward has continued to be very good at the point of attack, controlling the line of scrimmage and eating up blockers. He has an 81.4 overall run defense grade from PFF and is consistently shutting things down when on the field.
There’s nobody close to him when it comes to overall grade from PFF along the defensive line. His 90.3 grade far exceeds the next closest in Buffalo’s Ed Oliver, who is injured. Oliver has a grade of 87.3. The next closest is Collins for Cleveland at 86.5
One thing is clear: Heyward is a force. There are no signs of slowing down, and that remains truly remarkable.