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Longtime Steelers Star Cam Heyward Offers Thoughtful Take on DK Metcalf Suspension

Liam McKeone

Cameron Heyward had a thoughtful take on the DK Metcalf situation on Wednesday.
Cameron Heyward had a thoughtful take on the DK Metcalf situation on Wednesday. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
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Cam Heyward is about to wrap up his 15th NFL season playing for the Steelers. As such he’s earned veteran status in the locker room and is something of a spokesperson for Pittsburgh. So it was notable when he chose to weigh in on the DK Metcalf situation with something of a thoughtful take on Wednesday.

Metcalf was suspended by the NFL for two games after a physical altercation with a fan in the stands during the Steelers’ win over the Lions on Sunday. He appealed the suspension but it was upheld and won’t be permitted to take the field for Pittsburgh over the final two weeks of the regular season. If the Steelers clinch a playoff spot then Metcalf can return for postseason play but he won’t be there to help his team push for the AFC North title.

When asked about the situation on Wednesday, Heyward took the opportunity to ask why players who are suspended aren’t allowed to be around the team during the life of the suspension.

“One thing I don’t understand in these situations is when a guy gets suspended, we keep them out of the locker room, keep them out of the facility,” Heyward said. “I know DK is in a much better situation but there’s plenty of guys who get lost in those situations. This is a family. This is a team. You rip somebody from that and you say, ‘Hey, you’re suspended without pay,’ what are we really saying? We’re kind of putting those guys at a disadvantage. ... Plenty of times owners are handed these big fines, but it’s not like they’re not going to walk around their own facility.”

It is an interesting and humanizing opinion, especially for players who face suspensions for off-the-field issues. As Heyward notes Metcalf doesn’t fall into that category but as a matter of course keeping players separate from the support of their teammates is not necessarily a good thing. Keeping the players off the field and docking game checks seems adequate to Heyward.

The former All-Pro also weighed in on the verbal abuse players can be victim to from fans in the stands everywhere.

“There’s some inappropriate things,” Heyward acknowledged. “But as professionals we gotta keep moving beyond that. It’s easier in basketball where you can just point a guy out and say, ‘Hey, get him out of here.’ Football, there’s a lot more going on. But it shouldn’t be tolerated at all. I respect them as they come to watch us play, and they should respect us as, you know, we try to put on a good show for them.”

Thoughtful comments from the team’s elder statesman. Heyward is 36 years old and isn’t playing quite at the elite level we’ve come to expect from the defensive tackle. But the flashes are still there, as evidenced by his strong performance against Detroit on Sunday.

The Steelers won’t have Metcalf but they’ll definitely have Heyward. The team’s next bout comes against the Browns on Sunday and the playoffs within reach.

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Liam McKeone
LIAM MCKEONE

Liam McKeone is a senior writer for the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in the industry as a content creator since 2017, and prior to joining SI in May 2024, McKeone worked for NBC Sports Boston and The Big Lead. In addition to his work as a writer, he has hosted the Press Pass Podcast covering sports media and The Big Stream covering pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University, he is always up for a good debate and enjoys loudly arguing about sports, rap music, books and video games. McKeone has been a member of the National Sports Media Association since 2020.

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