A fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine includes an engine mount end and a discharge end that discharges an air/fuel mixture into a combustion chamber. The fuel nozzle includes a centerbody and a heat shield. The heat shield is fixed to the centerbody at a mid-mount position that is centrally located between first and second ends of the heat shield to allow the heat shield to remain thermally isolated from radially adjacent components to reduce the adverse effects of thermal stresses.