Steelers’ Cameron Heyward Just Did Something No Other 36-Year-Old Defensive Tackle Has Done

Age is just a number. Unless you’re a 36-year-old defensive tackle in the NFL. Then it’s usually a pretty big deal.

But Cameron Heyward apparently didn’t get that memo. The Steelers veteran just wrapped up a 2025 season that made him the oldest defensive tackle in the league while also playing more snaps than any other guy at his position. That’s not a typo.

According to Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith, Heyward logged 832 defensive snaps in 2025. That led all defensive tackles. And he did it at an age when most interior linemen are either retired or reduced to a rotational role. The Steelers had him out there for every down that mattered.

“According to the snap counts at pro-football-reference.com, Heyward played 832 defensive snaps, the most for any player whose listed position is defensive tackle,” Smith wrote. “And he did that at age 36 as the oldest player in the league at his position.”

They didn’t exactly ease up on his special teams workload either. Heyward played 129 special teams snaps, the sixth most among defensive tackles. The coaching staff clearly wasn’t worried about wearing him down.

How He Produced at 36

The numbers back up the playing time. Over 17 games, Heyward racked up 78 tackles, nine quarterback hits, and 3.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus graded him at 90.4 overall, which also led all defensive tackles. He posted an 84.9 in pass rush and an 84.3 in run defense, ranking fifth and second respectively.

For a guy who turned 36 during the season, that’s not just solid. It’s borderline absurd.

Heyward has spent his entire 15-year career in Pittsburgh. The totals now sit at 796 tackles, 208 QB hits, 92 sacks, seven Pro Bowl nods, and four All-Pro selections. He’s not just a veteran presence in the locker room. He’s still the engine of that defensive line.

The Steelers rewarded him in March with a two-year contract extension that runs through 2027. So they’re betting he can keep this going at least a couple more seasons. Whether he continues to lead all defensive tackles in snaps remains an open question. But based on what he just did at 36, it’s not crazy to think he might.