Steelers' Cam Heyward Gives Direct Response To Ben Roethlisberger After His Comments

Pittsburgh Steelers fans are likely still wondering what exactly went wrong during the Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The team looked prime to pull off a magical upset after the first half, only to completely fall apart as the Bills adjusted their gameplan in the second half. The Steelers' defense failed to get any pressure on Bills quarterback Josh Allen, registering exactly zero sacks against him and only recording one quarterback hit. Allen was free to do whatever he wanted, and he took advantage of that to the tune of 123 yards and a touchdown, along with one interception.

The loss to the Bills was so demoralizing to Steelers fans that they began chanting "Fire [Mike] Tomlin" in the stands. It isn't just Steelers fans who are calling for Head Coach Mike Tomlin to be fired at this point either. This sentiment has now extended to some former Steelers players. This includes former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and former outside linebacker James Harrison, and the noise has been heard by the current players. In particular, current Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward was asked about what he thinks regarding their comments about firing Tomlin.

In Heyward's recent address to the media, he gave a very simplistic response to the question about whether or not he agrees with Roethlisberger, Heyward, and others on the outside asking for a coaching change.

"I don't worry about anybody who's not in the locker room," Heyward stated simply. "It's not a diss at them. I think we just got to worry about the guys in here and focus at the job at hand. There's a lot of football to be played. Not running from that, our job. We got to answer for it and keep it moving."

Heyward's comments are refreshing to hear for Steelers fans who are worried that the team will let the outside noise cause a rift in the locker room. This has been something that has impacted the team's performances in the past, but this time, it seems that Heyward is trying to keep the team focused, even as calls outside the organization for Tomlin to be fired continue to intensify. These calls will likely further grow louder if the Steelers lose to the Baltimore Ravens this coming Sunday afternoon. 

However, it will be much harder this time around for Heyward to fully keep out the noise from outside. With comments talking about making history circulating, the pressure will be incredibly hard to overcome within the locker room. On the other side, these types of comments could unify the locker room, with the players rallying around Tomlin and putting together a strong performance against the Ravens that keep the Steelers alive in the AFC North and overall playoff picture.

Even with the requests for firing Tomlin getting louder all around, Heyward and the team need to stay focused, as he said. There's plenty of football still to be played, and the team needs to ensure that if they make any decision about Tomlin's future, they don't rush into anything.

Steelers Need To Wait Until The Offseason To Fire Mike Tomlin If They Do

Even if the Steelers ultimately decide to fire Tomlin, firing him now would be the ultimate sign of surrender as a team. While the team is still in contention to win the AFC North, they need to keep the current staff intact until the season ends. That way, they can keep a level of consistency as the season enters the most critical stretch.

The best thing Heyward and the team can do at the moment is exactly what he said. Keep moving forward, keep doing their best to win games and potentially win the AFC North, then make a decision on Tomlin's future after the season.

What did you think about Heyward's comments regarding firing Tomlin? Let us know in the comments below.

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