Steelers’ Cam Heyward reveals biggest similarity between Mike Tomlin, Mike McCarthy

When the Pittsburgh Steelers announced that Mike McCarthy would be replacing Mike Tomlin as their new head coach after an 18-year tenure in Allegany County, it truly marked an inflection point for the franchise.

Suddenly, players who had played their entire careers, like Cam Heyward, had to adjust to a new lead voice in the room and everything that comes along with it, from changes to schemes, to terminology and even logistics. And yet, in an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, the veteran defensive lineman revealed that the two coaches aren’t quite as different as they seem, as they are both deeply passionate about the game of football.

“I think their knowledge of the game because they are both hungry for football, you know?” Heyward posited. “You start talking about football, and you get these grins on their face when they start talking about, you know, situations they’ve been in, and as a player, you just relish those situations that just keep harping on those because, as a defender, I want to know what Mike McCarthy was thinking on third down in the Super Bowl in the third quarter. What led to those special drives? And you can do the same thing with Mike T. So It’s really nice to just break their brains and, you know, see how much they are like in that.”

Steelers DL @CamHeyward details the differences and similarities between Mike Tomlin and Mike McCarthy as a head coach on the @RichEisenShow pic.twitter.com/WPiPFH1jaw

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 8, 2026

Asked how the two coaches are different, Heyward pulled a fun anecdote out of his bag, noting that they both do things a little differently right down to when they begin practicing each day.

“Everything is, you know, different; you’ve become accustomed to, you know, how things were done on a team. It’s no shot at Mike McCarthy; it’s just different. It’s different. You know, flow of things and shoot, we’re practicing at 11; that’s a little bit different. I’ve always practiced at 1:55,” Hayward noted.

“I remember that clear as day (um, and you know, it’s gone through a training camp, uh new coaches, but I think it’s just adapting and being open to it. Um, you know, both coaches are successful, and you know, they go about things a little bit differently, but the end result is these guys like to win. They know how to play it. They know how to coach at a high level, and they get the most out of players.”

As one of the most veteran players in the NFL, it really is a testament to the Steelers’ consistency that Heyward has only played for one head coach over his 16-year NFL career. While only time will tell how long the McCarthy regime will last in the Steel City, the expectation remains the same: a seventh Super Bowl win.

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