Steelers veterans Cameron Heyward and TJ Watt chasing elusive postseason success

The last time the Pittsburgh Steelers played in a Super Bowl, Cameron Heyward was in his final semester at Ohio State.

The last time the Steelers appeared in an AFC Championship Game, TJ Watt had foregone his final season of eligibility at Wisconsin two weeks earlier and declared for the NFL Draft.

Despite all their individual success in the seasons that followed—twelve Pro Bowl nods, seven All-Pro nominations, a Defensive Player of the Year award—Heyward and Watt failed to achieve the sustained postseason success they expected when they joined the Steelers.

Heyward came in as an inexperienced defensive tackle prospect in 2011, a year after the Steelers appeared in Super Bowl XLV in Dallas, reaching the NFL's biggest stage for the second time in three seasons. Watt, a pass-rushing outside linebacker, came in 2017, a year after the Steelers beat Miami and Kansas City in the playoffs before falling to New England in the conference title game.

Of course, the Steelers have not reached those heights since then. They have not even won a playoff game. The loss to the Patriots was the start of a streak that stretched to 0-5, with a wild-card loss at Buffalo in January.

The losing streak is the ninth-longest in the NFL and the longest in franchise history since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970.

Heyward will be celebrating his 35th birthday in May and Watt is approaching 30, making it even more urgent for the team's two defensive stars to achieve the postseason success that has so far eluded them.

“Now is the time,” said Alex Highsmith, Watts' running mate at outside linebacker. “We've been emphasizing that all year, especially for guys like Cam and TJ who have put so much heart and sweat into what they do and their careers.”

“It's a little different when you have guys like that that you want to get wins for. Not just to get those wins, but to get to the Super Bowl and win it.”

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The Steelers, however, are not exactly in a position of strength as Sunday's season opener in Atlanta approaches. They have finished third in the ultra-competitive AFC North the past two seasons and have won the division title just once in the past six seasons.

Baltimore and Cincinnati are considered by NFL experts to be the cream of the division, with the Steelers battling the Cleveland Browns for last place, a spot the franchise has not held since the NFL moved to an eight-division format in 2002.

“It's a challenge I'm excited about,” Heyward said. “You can't be shy about what's been accomplished in the past, but I'm excited about the future and want to tackle it. We have a good team. We can talk about the playoffs, but before you get to the playoffs you have to dominate in the regular season. We're not overlooking that.”

The Steelers will look to build on their 10-7 record from last season, which improved by one game from the previous season. They believe they have improved the defense with the additions of inside linebacker Patrick Queen, cornerback Donte Jackson and safety DeShon Elliott. The latter two players were signed to bolster a secondary that includes three-time All-Pro free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

The biggest addition, however, came on offense when the Steelers signed 35-year-old quarterback Russell Wilson as a free agent. Wilson played in two Super Bowls in his ten seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, winning one of them.

“He's reached heights that me and TJ have never seen before,” Heyward said. “From that standpoint, he's got what we're looking for.”

Wilson, on the other hand, brings his own postseason baggage. He has won just one postseason game since 2016 and has not made the playoffs in either of his two seasons in Denver.

“The goal is to help TJ and Cam, really the whole team – with the history of this organization and how long they've been here – to help these guys get to the playoffs and win playoff games and do what we all want to do, which is win the Lombardi Trophy,” Wilson said.

“There are many other teams pursuing this goal. We have to do everything we can to stand out and make sure it's us.”

The Steelers have five players on their 53-man roster who own a Super Bowl ring: Wilson, wide receivers Van Jefferson and Scotty Miller, guard Isaac Seumalo and inside linebacker Elandon Roberts. Roberts has two from his time with the Patriots.

Roberts was surprised to learn that neither Watt nor Heyward had ever played in an AFC championship game. When the Steelers played the Patriots in 2016, Roberts' rookie season, Heyward was on the injured list with a chest injury.

“It just gives me more reason to help them feel that,” Roberts said. “I'd like to help those guys keep the Lombardi.”

The bitter playoff losses early in Heyward's career are still hard to swallow, starting with the overtime loss to Denver and Tim Tebow in his rookie season. Then there was the home loss to Baltimore in 2014 when the Steelers were 11-5 and AFC North champions. The six-point loss to Denver came in the 2012 divisional round.

Those losses pale in comparison to the losses the players have suffered since Watt joined the team in 2017. They were 13-3 in 2017, when they suffered a surprise 45-42 home loss to Jacksonville. They were 12-4 in the 2020 postseason, but then fell behind by 28 points, losing 48-37 at home to Cleveland.

In recent seasons, the Steelers have lost away to Kansas City and Buffalo when they reached the playoffs as the last seed.

“The close calls, the ball went one way or the other,” Heyward said. “The playoff in Denver, a fumble that changed the outcome of the game. The defense couldn't get a stop there. Countless other games. Even when we played Kansas City, we started fast, had turnovers, but couldn't score. We're looking for complete games, especially in the playoffs. But first we have to take advantage of that to get into the playoffs.”

Watt was forced to watch from the sidelines in January when the Steelers lost at Buffalo because of a sprained knee. Since his arrival, their postseason record has worsened to 0-4. He could have played the following week had the Steelers pulled off the upset.

“We talk about winning the Super Bowl every year,” Watt said. “The older you get, the less you want to look forward and not lose sight of the here and now.”

As much as Watt wants to achieve the playoff success that has eclipsed his six Pro Bowls, four All-Pro honors and 2021 Defensive Player of the Year, he wants to do it even more for Heyward.

“It would obviously be a big deal for everyone,” Watt said, “but for a guy like him who has been playing here for so long and has had so many ups and downs, it would be incredible to get him a ring.”

A Super Bowl win at this stage of Heyward's career would be a fairytale. This season's Super Bowl will be played in New Orleans, where Heyward's late father, Craig, began his NFL career after being drafted by Pitt.

Heyward doesn't want this season – or the remaining two on his contract – to be dedicated to his goal. He ignored coach Mike Tomlin's statement after Buffalo's playoff loss that he wants longtime Steelers like Heyward and Watt to have the confetti rained down on them after a Super Bowl win.

“I don't pay attention to it because I feel like I have to win it for him,” Heyward said of his coach. “I laugh when people say this guy deserves to win a Super Bowl. You don't deserve it unless you earn it. That's always been my motto. … They're not going to just hand you the award. It's not a participation trophy. You have to go out and get it.”