Cam Heyward sends warning about Steelers offseason, says it’s now or never for Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers looked like one of the top teams in the league for most of last year, but a late season collapse sent the Steelers diving into the free agent pool this spring.

State of urgency for Heyward and vets

Mike Tomlin’s guys were 10-3 and fighting for a one seed in the AFC a month before the playoffs started. They spiraled in December and January losing their last four regular season games, while losing the AFC North to the Baltimore Ravens and then got knocked out of the playoffs in the first round.

Now Pittsburgh’s leader on the defensive line, Cam Heyward, says it’s now or never for the Steelers, who have brought in some big names since the free agency period opened up. “I think we’re in a state of urgency,” Heyward said Friday on The Rich Eisen Show. “We have a lot of guys that, like myself, are in the latter stages of their career. We all want to win. It’s not just enough to win a playoff game, which we haven’t won in a couple years, and there’s a bad taste in our mouth because of that.”

Since their early exit in the playoffs, Pittsburgh have traded for DK Metcalf, and signed Malik Harrison, Darius Slay and Juan Thronhill. They still have yet to sign a quarterback after Russell Wilson and Justin Fields split time under center last year. Rumors of Aaron Rodgers have been circling around the Steele City, but no deal has been agreed to.

No playoff win since 2016

The offense was a big part of that collapse late in the year. It’s nothing new for the Steelers who have had one of the top defenses in the league for the last few seasons, but the offense hasn’t been able to carry their load in that time. Now Heyward says, time might be running out for some of the guys on the defensive side of the ball.

“You have a guy like T.J. Watt. You don’t just get a T.J. Watt and you sit on that T.J. Watt, you make sure you maximize those opportunities to win at a high level. And with Minkah Fitzpatrick -- All-Pro guys that are soon to be Hall of Famers that we have so much respect for. We’ve got to win now,” said Heyward.

Coach Tomlin has been in Pittsburgh since 2007 and won the Super Bowl in his next year. He has never had a losing season in almost two decades, but the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.