Steelers DT Cam Heyward has cross-state admirer in Super Bowl defender

Fletcher Cox has taken the field with plenty of high-level talent in his 12-year career, but there’s still someone he’d like to suit up with before he calls it quits.

“You,” the Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle told Cam Heyward on the Feb. 8 Not Just Football podcast when asked who he’d most like to play with in the NFL.

Heyward, recently named the Walter Payton Man of the Year, is still highly regarded as one of the most dominant players at his position heading into his 13th season.

“That’s all love,” Cox said. “Just respect that you got for the game, respect that I have for the game. The way that you play the game, the way that I play the game, like we definitely could. That would’ve been nice.”

Heyward agreed: “We could make some things happen.”

It could happen. The Steelers love themselves some old, seasoned vets, and, at 33, Cox is about as old and seasoned as they get.

He’s an unrestricted free agent who isn’t expected to be back with the Eagles, coming off a one-year deal he signed last March. Unfortunately, Over the Cap projects Cox’s market value at $10 million, something Pittsburgh isn’t likely to shell out with the younger Larry Ogunjobi under contract through 2025.

Who even knows what they’ll do with Heyward, 35, the second-highest-paid player on the roster after T.J. Watt? He’s set to earn a $16 million base salary in 2024, or 9.2 percent of the cap. A restructuring is likely, but Heyward has already stated he’s not taking a pay cut.