Versatility is hugely important in today’s NFL. As the game transitions closer and closer to positionless football as offenses and defenses search for matchup advantages, players with that versatility are becoming even more valuable.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of those players in second-year tight end Connor Heyward.
Entering his second season, Heyward has adjusted rather nicely to the tight end position — a position he switched to at Michigan State for the 2021 season. Along with his role as a tight end, Heyward has seen some snaps at fullback, running back and slot receiver for the Steelers at training camp in Latrobe at Saint Vincent College, all while holding down a key role on special teams as well.
That versatility asks a lot of Heyward, which can see him doing something different in a whole other role play to play for the Black and Gold.
For Steelers star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, that versatility shown by Heyward and that willingness to do whatever the team asks is “very honorable.”
Appearing on the “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward” podcast, Fitzpatrick heaped praise on the younger Heyward, stating it’s not easy to do what Steelers are asking him to do on every play, but that he’s becoming a key part offensively.
“They ask him to do a lot, and he steps up,” Fitzpatrick said regarding Connor Heyward, via video on the NFL on ESPN YouTube page. “I remember when I got back last week watching practice, within a four-play span, he was doing four different roles. One play he was in the slot running an option route; next play they used him as a wrapper blocking the inside linebacker; next play he’s in the backfield running the ball.
“The fact that he’s a young dude and stepping up and doing that is very honorable and respected.”
It’s not easy what Heyward is doing, especially so early in his career. He’s taken to it like a fish to water though, and it’s earning the respect and praise of his teammates, which is very noteworthy.
Initially brought along slowly after making the roster as a sixth-round pick out of Michigan State, Heyward blossomed into a role after the Week Nine bye in 2022, becoming a valuable piece for the Steelers’ offense under coordinator Matt Canada. Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett showed serious trust in Heyward. So did the coaching staff, putting him on the field in key situations, for which he rewarded them by coming through with some big plays.
Last season, Heyward played just 174 snaps offensively, which totaled out to just 15 percent of the offensive snaps the Steelers ran in 2022. Of those 174 snaps, just 64 came in the season’s first eight weeks, including a career-high 30 snaps in the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week Six, which happened to be a game that Pat Freiermuth missed due to a concussion.
That development last season has carried over into this offseason and the preseason. The Steelers are putting Heyward on the field more and looking for ways to get him the football. In fact, it feels like the Heyward is becoming the Steelers’ version of Taysom Hill in New Orleans.
Just proving he can be consistent and showing off his hands is going to be key to him finding a role in the NFL, whatever his position may be, and it’s a skill that’s clearly caught the attention of his teammates and coaches. Great hands, becoming a solid blocker, can run the football out of the backfield and really has a knack for getting open.
What’s not to like? It’s no surprise the Steelers are asking him to do a bunch of different things.
He’s a football player, plain and simple. And he’s showing that time and time again. He has great hands, is really settling into his own as an offensive weapon for the Steelers and looks like the next sound, dependable pass-catching option for the Steelers moving forward.
