The Pittsburgh Steelers received a major win months before the regular season started when the Cleveland Browns sent star pass rusher and generational talent Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for Jared Verse and a bevy of picks.

That, of course, generated a ton of reaction from around the league and the AFC North in particular. Mike McCarthy gave an unfiltered response, and now Cam Heyward has done the same thing.

Cam Heyward gives his reaction to Myles Garrett being traded

“I think Aaron’s [Rodgers] definitely happy to not have that guy in our division. I couldn’t care less. I like competing against talent. I don’t think anyone wants to be in Cleveland,” said Heyward on his podcast Not Just Football.

What’s funny about the comments from Heyward is that he played college football at Ohio State, which is a couple of hours from Cleveland. But the truth here is that the loss of a defensive talent in your division, when you don’t play offense, doesn’t really affect you.

Now, of course, the Steelers as a whole will play the Browns twice a year again, and the lack of Myles Garrett on the other sideline will be a major advantage for the Steelers when Pittsburgh plays the Browns, especially in Cleveland. It’s why Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy didn’t hide his true feelings when asked about the Garrett trade.

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Mike McCarthy backs up Cam Heyward’s stance

“I’m all for it,” McCarthy said with a slight grin via Cris Carter on X-Twitter. “He’s a phenomenal player. I had a chance to compete against him two years ago, but you know, when you see these types of situations, you know it happens. Obviously, he’ll have a great opportunity out there in LA, but it’s just trades and transactions. I’m never surprised, but what a great player.”

That great player is no longer in Pittsburgh, and that’s a big win for the Steelers in 2026, and going forward, when looking at the history of the Cleveland Browns.