Cameron Heyward was named defensive captain for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the ninth consecutive year, by far the most for any defensive player in team history during the Mike Tomlin era. His leadership as captain goes back to the 2015 season, emerging as a dominant defender around the same time.
But now the Steelers find their captain sidelined with a groin injury, expected to miss the next two months or so. Typically an ironman, this is only his second major injury of his career, having also missed much of the 2016 season with a torn pec.
While Pittsburgh does have OLB T.J. Watt as another defensive captain, those around the locker room understand a situation like this requires others to step up. Fourth-year OLB Alex Highsmith is one of those players taking that responsibility on for himself.
“I’m always a lead-by-example guy but I want to be more of a vocal leader now, especially [with] Cam not being here”, he said on WTAE’s Black & Gold Primetime pre-game show prior to last night’s game. “I feel like they need my voice more at times so I just want to do what I can to provide some juice for us, some energy and help this team win games”.
While the Steelers seem to have a lot of “lead-by-example” guys on the roster, you sometimes need that presence, the guy who is willing to step up and speak out and make clear the messaging, unifying the locker room.
The Steelers had that in ILB James Farrior earlier on. Heyward has been the successor in that particular line of leaders. Watt remains more of a leader by example, and I suspect that FS Minkah Fitzpatrick largely fits into that mold as well, though with more of a vocal presence.
Who else in that group can be a mouthpiece for the unit? There are a lot of new faces. The inside linebackers are entirely new among those who are actually on the field. The most veteran leader is probably CB Patrick Peterson, who is also in his first season with the Steelers.
Perhaps in time, CB Joey Porter Jr. can become one of those next vocal leaders. But he has to begin by getting on the field more, winning a starting job. He’s just a rookie and getting his career started, so that is decidedly something down the line.
But let’s be honest with ourselves. Take a gander at the Steelers’ defensive starting lineup. Who are the real vocal leaders? There’s only so much we can deduce as outsiders, but does Larry Ogunjobi strike you as a vocal leader? Levi Wallace? I’m not even sure Cole Holcomb would.
Elandon Roberts has that personality, but he’s in his first year with the team in a reduced role, splitting time with another linebacker cut from the same cloth in Kwon Alexander. That entire room, I think, has something to prove before any of them can really be counted upon as one of the principal voices of the defense.
In other words, it would be really helpful if a guy like Highsmith could emerge as that kind of presence, especially at a time like this when the Steelers can use it the most. It’s not like Heyward is hiding in the shadows, but he’s not on the field. And we saw how much communication was already an issue last week.
