Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward just made another bit of NFL history when he was selected to the AP All-Pro team as a first-team selection this season. The 35-year-old had eight sacks and a staggering 11 passes defended, the same amount as first-team All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II.
However, it is Heyward’s age that makes this season so stunning. At the age of 35, Heyward is the oldest defensive tackle to be selected to an All-Pro team in the Super Bowl era. The last time a defensive tackle 35 or older made an All-Pro team was Gino Marchetti on the Baltimore Colts in 1964, who earned that honor at the age of 37.
For Heyward, this was his fifth selection and fourth first-team distinction. On top of that, this is likely an honor that signals the finality of a Hall of Fame career. In the entirety of his career, he has 88.5 sacks and won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2023. All of that adds up to a resume worthy of an induction in Canton.