4 Pittsburgh Steelers players who deserve to outlast Mike Tomlin but won't

1. Cameron Heyward will retire before Mike Tomlin leaves the Steelers

Cameron Heyward has just one year left on his contract, and after that it wouldn't be a surprise to see him retire from football altogether. Heyward will go down as a Steelers great and is borderline for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He'll be welcome back to Steelers games whenever he chooses with open arms.

Unfortunately, Heyward also wasted the final years of his career on some mediocre teams. Some of that can be blamed on Tomlin, with inexcusable losses piling up and no playoff victories since 2015. Heyward claimed he will not take a pay cut in his final season with Pittsburgh, and who can blame him? If the Steelers aren't going to use that money on a quarterback who can help Heyward win another Super Bowl, then it's all wasted anyway.

“I bust my butt in rehab, doing everything. I got to let things calm down,” Heyward said. “Screw the people who keep talking about me getting a pay cut.”

Heyward will ride into the sunset on the final year of his Steelers deal. If he chooses to sign elsewhere with a better chance to win it all in 2025, who can blame him? It's better than being perpetually stuck at 9-8.