During a postgame episode of “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward,” Pittsburgh Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward sounded the alarm on an emerging player-safety issue in special teams play. Heyward highlighted how opposing rush units are exploiting protective rules on field goals, placing edge blockers and tight ends in harm's way.
Heyward noted that while long snappers enjoy explicit NFL rule protections against direct contact upon snapping, players lined up on the edge, typically tight ends or interior defensive linemen, are facing reckless, multi-man rush tactics designed purely to overwhelm them physically.
"I think we need to clean up how many guys can rush the tight end on field goal because it has become out of control and literally they're not even going for the blocks," Heyward explained. "They are literally just going to derail you and try to run you over. And it's become one of these things that, you know, we protect the long snapper in those plays, but we're not protecting the tight end."
The 16-year veteran revealed that the physical toll of special teams plays led to his own reduced snaps on field-goal units to preserve his body. On Sunday, teammate Yahya Black absorbed the brunt of the onslaught.
"YA told me he was like, 'I had five people run down the center of me,' and it's like, you can't, they're not even going for blocks. That's, you got to take that out of the game," Heyward said.
With player safety remaining a central talking point across the league, Heyward indicated he plans to bring the issue up during broader discussions on rule enforcement and safety adjustments. As teams continue to weaponize overloaded rush schemes, Heyward’s public comments could prompt the NFL Competition Committee to examine end-of-line blocking protections ahead of next season.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Why Cam Heyward is pushing NFL for a key field goal rule change