Pittsburgh Steelers DL Cam Heyward is undergoing surgery on his groin today, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He is expected to miss eight weeks and return midway through the year.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin already confirmed Tomlin would need surgery but said on Tuesday he didn’t have a timeline for when it would occur. It’s also been reported the timeline for him to miss is about two months. Now, his surgery and recovery begin today.
Heyward was injured in the first half of Sunday’s Week One loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Twice, he attempted to return to the game but left after one play. Pittsburgh will try to replace him with several players, including DeMarvin Leal and Isaiahh Loudermilk. Veteran defensive lineman Armon Watts will likely be active while Heyward is out. Nose tackle Breiden Fehoko could also get elevated from the Steelers’ practice squad.
On a true timeline of eight weeks, it means Heyward would return around Week 12 for the Steelers’ Nov. 26 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s the first major injury Heyward has suffered since 2016 when a torn pectoral ended his season seven games into it. Pittsburgh has not officially placed Heyward on IR yet but will do so later this week or on Monday.
Heyward, 34, remains one of the NFL’s top interior defensive linemen and is coming off back-to-back double-digit sack seasons. The Steelers’ first-round pick in 2011, he has 78.5 career sacks, third-most in team history.
Pittsburgh hosts the Cleveland Browns Monday night. Their run defense will immediately be tested against a unit that ran for 206 yards in Week One against the Cincinnati Bengals.
