After suffering a groin injury in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers that required surgery, Pittsburgh Steelers star defensive lineman Cameron Heyward could be getting close to returning the action for the Black and Gold.
According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Heyward “probably” will be back by the Week 10 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium.
In his latest chat with fans Wednesday morning, Dulac twice stated the Nov. 12 matchup against the Packers as the timeline for Heyward to return to the lineup. The matchup against Green Bay will be the third straight home game for the Steelers in a stretch that features matchups with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans.
The Week 10 matchup against the Packers will come after the Steelers have a mini bye of sorts after the Week Nine matchup against the Titans on Thursday Night Football, giving Heyward a chance to get back on the field for the Steelers.
Though he’s been on Injured Reserve since Week Two, Heyward has had quite a presence around the Steelers, traveling with the team to road trips, consistently being on the sideline as an extension of the coaching staff for the players, and vice versa. Though he’s been active around the team, it’s been tough on Heyward not being out on the field.
“It’s frustrating enough not being able to play,” Heyward said, per the Johnstown Democrat-Tribune’s Amanda Godsey. “Looking at it, it’s not like my guys aren’t trying. There’s little things we just gotta clean up. Hands, eyes, your key, how we step to a block. All these things are going to change the way we control the line of scrimmage.”
He’s also stated previously on his podcast “Not Just Football With Cam Heyward” that timetables regarding his recovery and pending return don’t exist with him as he makes his own timetable and target return date. That said, it was always expected that he’d make a return closer to Thanksgiving after undergoing surgery to repair his groin injury.
Once Heyward gets back on the field, it will be a massive boost to one of the league’s worst run defense. Through the first five games of the season the Steelers are allowing 143.8 yards per game on the ground, getting gashed time and time again. Though Heyward is not a fix-all, his presence will be key in helping the Steelers try and turn things around from a run defense standpoint.
We’ll see how things develop in the weeks ahead, but the way Dulac makes things sound, Heyward will be back by Nov. 12 against the Packers.
