Cameron Heyward Opens Up on Mike Tomlin’s Exit: “I Felt Like I Failed Him”
For the first time in nearly two decades, the Pittsburgh Steelers are heading into an offseason without Mike Tomlin at the helm-and for veteran defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, that reality still hasn’t fully settled in.
Heyward, a cornerstone of the Steelers' defense since being drafted in 2011, spoke candidly during a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, reflecting on the emotional moment when Tomlin informed the team he was stepping away after 19 seasons as head coach. The reaction inside the locker room was one of stunned silence.
“I think we were all just in shock by it,” Heyward said. “You could hear a pin drop.
Everyone was in there. I got a chance to talk to him after that day, but I just told him, ‘This shocked me.’
It happened so abrupt. I felt like I had failed him in that moment.
We never got to reach the pinnacle of success like we always talked about.”
That last line hits especially hard when you consider the history between Heyward and Tomlin. Heyward has only ever known one head coach in the NFL. From the moment he arrived in Pittsburgh as a first-round pick in 2011, Tomlin was the voice in his ear, the leader in the room, and the architect of the culture that’s defined Steelers football for nearly two decades.
And yet, despite all the stability and consistency, Heyward’s playoff résumé under Tomlin includes just one postseason win-back in January 2016. For a player who’s given everything to the franchise, that’s a tough pill to swallow.
While reports have since revealed that Tomlin had a sense this past season might be his last, that wasn’t something he shared with the locker room until the decision was final. For players like Heyward, the news landed like a thunderclap.
Heyward’s Future Still Uncertain, But It’s Not About the Money
Now 36 and heading into his 16th NFL season, Heyward finds himself at a personal crossroads. He’s been through contract negotiations before-most recently last offseason, when he skipped some team activities before agreeing to a revised deal for the 2025 campaign-but this time, the decision to return or walk away feels more personal than financial.
“It is more just about where I'm at and just decompressing after the season,” Heyward explained. “That whole week of Mike T and everything, it kind of threw me for the biggest loop.
My mom and my brothers, they were all checking in on me. I'm like, I just need to shut up right now.
I don't need to say much.”
The emotional weight of Tomlin’s departure clearly hit Heyward hard. Even on his own podcast, where he’s typically open and reflective, he admitted he couldn’t bring himself to talk about it.
“I was just like, I can't talk about this stuff 'cause I'm not ready to.”
That kind of honesty speaks volumes. For Heyward, this isn’t about chasing another contract or leveraging the moment for a bigger payday. It’s about legacy, health, and finding clarity in the wake of a seismic shift in the only NFL environment he’s ever known.
He also acknowledged that his family is thinking long-term-beyond football. “They want to see me not just now but years from now,” he said, hinting that whatever decision he makes will be rooted in more than just the next season.
What’s Next for Heyward-and the Steelers
As the Steelers prepare for a new era without Mike Tomlin, there’s no doubt that Heyward’s presence-on the field or off it-will continue to matter. He’s been the emotional leader of the defense, the standard-bearer for the team’s identity, and one of the most respected voices in the locker room.
Whether he suits up for one more season or decides to hang up the cleats, Heyward’s legacy in Pittsburgh is already cemented. But if this past month has shown us anything, it’s that even the most battle-tested veterans can be shaken by change.
And for Heyward, the end of the Tomlin era wasn’t just the end of a coaching tenure-it was the end of something deeply personal.