Steelers defensive captain Cam Heyward caused some controversy last week with a misinterpreted quote. He had seemed to hint he was open to leaving the Steelers for the rival Cleveland Browns amidst his ongoing contract dispute with Pittsburgh.
Here’s the full excerpt from what started it: Mark Kaboly’s June 14 article with The Athletic.
Heyward will worry about his future next year. He’s not counting out signing with the Steelers before this season or even before free agency next year. But for the first time, he’s contemplating what it might be like to wear colors other than black and gold.
Can you imagine Heyward in the orange and brown of the Cleveland Browns? It might seem sacrilegious, but never say never.
“I still have family in Cleveland … my wife is from Cleveland,” Heyward said. “We will see. I am not trying to think about all that right now.”
The quote did not sit well with Steelers fans, to say the least. That’s not exactly a surprise, as the Browns are perhaps the Steelers’ most despised rival.
Kaboly later clarified on The Fan Morning Show that Heyward was just joking.
Heyward later addressed the issue himself when replying to fans on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Bro I ain’t going to Cleveland. My wife about threw up when she saw the report. It was a joke in passing,” he posted.
Bro I ain’t going to Cleveland. My wife about threw up when she saw the report. It was a joke in passing
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) June 20, 2024
A few days earlier he had responded to another fan who had brought up the topic, replying with a dismissive GIF.
It seems that fans don’t need to worry about Heyward leaving Pittsburgh for Cleveland anytime soon. However, he has maintained that he’ll be playing in 2025 and beyond — even if the Steelers don’t bring him back.
Still, the defensive captain has made a point that he wants to remain a Steeler for his entire career.
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