A lot of storylines surrounded Heyward on whether or not he would play on Sunday against the New York Jets amidst contract disputes with the team.
Heyward said that he had a lot of "tough conversations" with his family prior to the season opener.
The five-time All-Pro (4x First-Team, 1x Second-Team) defensive tackle has been the anchor of the Steelers defence for over a decade now. Heyward was originally selected with the 31st overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and has since spent his entire career in the Steel City.
The 36-year-old is coming off his fifth All-Pro season after posting eight sacks, a career-high 11 pass deflections, 71 tackles, 20 quarterback hits, and 12 tackles for a loss. He finished the year rated as the No. 1 defensive tackle in all of football out of 219.
In 211 games (176 starts), Heyward has racked up 718 tackles, 199 quarterback hits, 133 tackles for loss, 88.5 sacks, 58 pass deflections, eight forced fumbles, and two interceptions.
Now, the former Walter Payton Man of the Year award-winner will be heading into his 16th season as he looks to get the Steelers back to the playoffs.