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The Pittsburgh Steelers’ dramatic comeback fell short vs. the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11 on Sunday Night Football, and the myriad of story lines which came out of the game seemed endless.
One of those story lines was the awkward exchange between Cam Heyward and Justin Herbert after Heyward tackled Herbert during the prime time game.
Here is what Heyward said regarding the play in his post-game press conference:
“I was trying to get up and I couldn’t get up and fell back on him,” Heyward said. “It was terrible. There was nothing malicious behind it. I wasn’t trying to punch him. I know it looks worse in slow motion. I’m sorry if I did anything to upset anybody. I wish I had said more to Justin after, but there was nothing behind it.”
Chargers head coach Brandon Staley had this to say about the exchange between his franchise quarterback and Heyward:
“I think that the truth will express itself from the video.”
Either way, or whatever you believe transpired at the bottom of that pile, the NFL is looking into the penalty and will likely be delivering a fine to the Steelers captain. This per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network:
#Steelers DL Cam Heyward, who appeared to punch #Chargers QB Justin Herbert late in last night’s game, will have his actions reviewed for a fine, not suspension, source said. Heyward told reporters punching was not his intent and it looked worse than it was.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 22, 2021
The play certainly did look bad, and in case you want to see what happened again, check the video below:
This feels…not legal pic.twitter.com/pz9Clca0Fc
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 22, 2021
While Steelers fans will likely have Heyward’s back, the fact remains this does look really bad. Heyward will likely be losing a good bit of his game check from Week 11 for his actions, and he likely knows it based on his post-game comments.
The Steelers have to move on from this prime time loss quickly as they now have to prepare for the Cincinnati Bengals, in Cincinnati, in Week 12. A huge game for the Steelers’ playoff hopes, and the AFC North division race. In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the team as they prepare for the rest of the 2021 regular season.
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