Well, if we know anything about Pittsburgh Steelers captain Cam Hayward, it’s that he isn’t afraid to speak his mind. He is now sending a clear message to Steelers fans about cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

Porter made his debut with the Dallas Cowboys over the weekend after Pittsburgh traded him. Plenty of Steelers fans went out of their way to let Porter, and more specifically his father, know how they feel about that move. Their method of choice? Burning his jersey.

Videos of those jersey burnings went viral, and Heyward didn’t let them slide.

Cam Heyward fires back at Steelers fans

The veteran defensive lineman clapped back at the fans behind the videos on his podcast, Not Just Football on YouTube:

“Like, grow up, this is just a waste of money. Give the jersey away. There’s kids that don’t have jerseys. Sometimes fans take it way too seriously. You’re burning stuff, that’s not sending a good message.”

The truth is, Heyward makes a good point. What are you doing? You’re a grown man setting fire to a jersey that probably cost you more than $100. If you’re done with Porter, that jersey could end up on a kid who would love to have it. Donating it sends a far better message than a viral clip of a bonfire in the backyard.

I’m all for fans being passionate. That passion is part of what makes Pittsburgh one of the best fan bases in the NFL. But Heyward is right that there is a line, and lighting merchandise on fire for social media is pretty close to it.

Why Steelers fans have a point, too

That being said, I see both sides of this one.

Ever since Porter and his dad joined Dallas, they have been on what feels like a tour to smear the Steelers. So it’s not hard to understand why some fans feel the need to fire back, even if burning a jersey is a questionable way to do it.

To be fair to the fans, the Steelers deserve plenty of blame here as well. The decision not to pay Porter and to trade a legacy player who was one of your best defenders deserves criticism in its own right. Pittsburgh let a homegrown talent with deep ties to the franchise walk out the door, and that one is on the front office.

But Porter and his father also deserve criticism for a lot of the actions we’ve seen since they landed with the Cowboys. Both things can be true at the same time.

Heyward is backing a former teammate

The way I see it, Heyward is simply taking the side of a former teammate. He spent three years, almost four, sharing a locker room with Porter. That bond doesn’t disappear because of a trade, and it certainly doesn’t disappear because of a few viral videos.

On top of that, Heyward is a team captain. Part of that job is setting a standard, and here he is pushing back on fans who might be taking things a little too far. That’s not him siding against Pittsburgh. That’s him asking the fan base to channel its frustration somewhere more productive.

The Porter saga isn’t going away anytime soon, especially if he and his father continue to take shots at their former team. Fans will keep reacting, and the Steelers will keep fielding questions about the trade. But if Heyward’s message reaches even a few of the folks holding the lighter, maybe a couple of those jerseys end up on kids who need them instead.

So where do you stand? Were Steelers fans justified in burning Porter’s jersey, or is Hayward right to call them out?