Pittsburgh Steelers star has sent a loud, direct message to the Browns ahead of Week 8’s big AFC North battle
Perhaps little bit of drama heating up before the Browns and Steelers play in Week 9?
The Cleveland Browns are off to a 5-2 start in the 2026 NFL season, and their best win so far came against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cleveland beat Pittsburgh 27-24 in Week 4 on Thursday Night Football at home. The two AFC North rivals meet again Sunday in Week 8, and Steelers star defensive tackle Cam Heyward has already sent a direct message toward the Browns.
This time the Steelers will be at home, looking to get one back against Cleveland. Both teams sit at 5-2, so there’s plenty riding on this one in the division.
Cam Heyward fires back at Browns pass rusher Jared Verse
The back-and-forth started after the first meeting. Following the Week 4 win, Browns pass rusher Jared Verse said the Steelers play dirty, and that he couldn’t wait to play in Pittsburgh for the second matchup.
Heyward didn’t let that go, clearly. The Steelers defensive tackle appeared on the Rich Eisen Show recently and responded.
“Double teaming, sliding, chipping, are those not allowed in our game?” Heyward said. “Yeah, I got the bruises to prove it. But we don’t whine about it baby. It’s part of the game. I’m looking forward to this game. It’s gonna be a fun game, both teams are in position to do a lot of work in this division, as they say.”
Heyward did say he respects the Browns and made that clear, but he’s looking forward to Sunday’s rematch.
“The AFC North is on fire and I’m glad I’m in the kitchen because I like it that way,” he added. “But those are words that were said and they will be addressed.”
Heyward is still a force for Pittsburgh
Heyward isn’t someone who talks without backing it up. He had seven tackles and a forced fumble in the first game against the Browns. That came after a 2025 season in which he earned Second Team All-Pro honors with 78 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
Through seven games this season, Heyward has 22 tackles, one sack, and five batted passes. The 37-year-old has played at a high level for a long time. He’s a seven-time Pro Bowler and a four-time First Team All-Pro for a reason, and he’s backed up his talk against Cleveland plenty of times over the years.
That puts a lot on the Browns’ interior offensive line. Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins, and rookie Austin Barber are going to have to play at a strong level against Heyward. He’s clearly going to try to wreak some havoc, and you can tell by his tone how he’s approaching this game.
The Browns have a chance to make a major statement in Week 8 if they can pull off a sweep of the Steelers. That’s something Cleveland hasn’t done since the 1980s.
Pittsburgh clearly has extra motivation going into Sunday, not that it’s needed. A win on the road would give Cleveland the upper hand in the AFC North standings, and they’d own the tiebreaker over Pittsburgh. Get the popcorn ready, because this rematch has all the makings of a physical one.
