Versatility is the name of the game in today’s NFL. The more positions you can play, the more you can provide a team, the better.
Connor Heyward is aiming to be that for the Steelers moving forward. So far, he’s developed into a play-making tight end in the passing game, especially up the seam. Great hands, knack for getting open, and his quarterbacks trust him immensely.
Along with his abilities at tight end, Heyward is getting some looks in the backfield at fullback, and most surprisingly, at running back. Heyward is no stranger to running back, having played it in college before a position change in 2021.
Heyward has seen snaps at running back in training camp and even got a carry in the preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, gaining five yards on the play. With that experience under his belt dating back to college, could he be a short-yardage back for the Steelers with his size, taking some of the load off of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in those situations?
Personally, I would like to see it.
Watching Friday’s preseason opener, I couldn’t help but keep coming back to the thought that Heyward could be the Steelers’ version of Taysom Hill in New Orleans. People probably just got upset hearing Heyward and Hill compared, but hear me out:
Hill has carved out a career doing whatever is asked of him, whether that’s being a gunner on special teams, a short-yardage back, an in-line blocking tight end or a passing-game threat at the position, not to mention quarterback.
A dynamic dual-threat quarterback at BYU, Hill came into the NFL as a quarterback with the Saints but never quite caught on at the position behind Drew Brees. The athleticism and toughness, along with the general willingness to do anything to get onto the field led to Hill seeing time at kick and punt return, kick and punt coverage, and then that role grew into a spot offensively as a package player for head coach Sean Payton and the Saints.
Even after Payton’s departure, the Saints have leaned on Hill in certain packages to get him the football. In his career, Hill has rushed for 1,758 yards and 23 touchdowns on 317 carries, adding another 43 receptions for 465 yards and nine touchdowns over six seasons.
Hill has seen snaps at quarterback, running back, tight end and wide receiver, and has registered nearly 1,000 career snaps on special teams.
Heyward doesn’t have the quarterback abilities, at least as far as we know, like Hill does, but there’s a Swiss Army knife role there, one that could make Heyward even more valuable to the Steelers than he already is.
I love the creativity the coaching staff is displaying when it comes to Heyward. Hopefully they look down to New Orleans and try and incorporate some of the ways Hill has been used with Heyward moving forward.
That doesn’t mean the Steelers need to scheme up 10 touches a game for Heyward, like the Saints have done in the past for Hill, especially in recent years. But there’s a real versatility at multiple positions for Heyward, one that is making him quite valuable to the Steelers moving forward and making him quite the unique playmaker overall.
At the end of the day, he’s a football player. Matt Canada and the Steelers need to utilize that offensively, starting this season.
