Cam Heyward Calls Out Critics Of His Brother

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have long been a team full of family ties.

They currently have Joey Porter Jr. on the roster following the illustrious career of his father Joey Porter, who both was a defensive stalwart and coach for the team. The team rostered Derek and T.J. Watt simultaneously briefly as well as having both Nate and Nick Herbig on the roster for a couple seasons.

The only current group of siblings, however, is the Heyward siblings. Cam Heyward is one of the top of defensive players across the league, and Connor Heyward is one of the top players on special teams for the Steelers.

Jul 24, 2025; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Connor Heyward (83) participates in drills during training camp at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

That being said, as the Cam Heyward contract situation worsened, criticism came for both the brothers. Many labelled Cam as selfish, while also stating that Connor was only occupying a roster spot as leverage by the Steelers to keep Cam on the team.

Both brothers are no stranger to internet criticism, and Cam has a podcast where he often speaks his mind about his perspective on league issues and Steelers news. On an episode of Not Just Football, Cam spoke about the negative comments people have made about his brother, and what he believes should be done about them.

"I don't think he gets enough love for the dirty work he does. I know there's a lot made out about he's my brother, but the dude works his ass off, comes to practice," Heyward said. "He is a special teams energy bringer and not many white shirts, like we like to call 'em, have 10-plus tackles in the year. And we don't value that enough, I think, as a fan base. And I think as a fan base, I just ask that you respect the way that kid works. Stop looking at it as my little brother, respect how he does it and go about your business."

It is probably true that his relationship to Cam puts extra negative attention on him, but he also plays a position that is tough to quantify outside of looking at an All-22.

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