Inconsistent officiating across the NFL has frustrated defensive players, and Pittsburgh Steelers veteran defensive lineman Cameron Heyward isn't holding back. Speaking on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Heyward opened up about questionable calls, viral AI memes, and the impossible balancing act defenders face today.
The conversation kicked off with a debate over recent phantom flags, including a controversial pass interference call against the Los Angeles Rams and a costly penalty against the Bengals. Heyward even recalled a negated play in his own recent game.
"DK Metcalf has a great block and it's just a seal, the ref throws it from the sideline. That's not even his call to make and it wipes out an 80-yard run." Reflecting on the officiating trends
early in the season, Heyward noted, "These flags are a little bit inconsistent right now."
The debate shifted to a contentious roughing-the-passer call involving Miami Dolphins pass-rusher Chop Robinson landing on Patrick Mahomes. Humor crept into the discussion over a viral fake clip of the play, with Heyward joking, "When I saw that clip, I didn't know if it was AI or not because when I saw it, they put a pillow underneath Pat."
Joke aside, the underlying issue remains serious for defenders fighting laws of physics and restrictive rules. Host Rich Eisen pointed out that Robinson tried releasing his weight, remarking, "There's this thing called gravity. So you're not allowed to tackle the quarterback."
Heyward agreed, pointing out how protected quarterbacks exploit sideline boundaries against defenders hesitant to hit them.
"I think we struggle so much as an NFL when we let quarterbacks play this little game on the sideline instead of them either getting the ball out quicker or sliding or just throwing the ball out of bounds," Heyward emphasized. "If they want to get hit, they're going to get hit."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: 'What Are We Doing?' Cam Heyward rips NFL's inconsistent flags
