Like Connor Heyward, the Pittsburgh Steelers are right where we are: sitting at home being mad. Although they managed to make the playoffs in 2023, they lost in the first round. It has now been seven years without a postseason victory, the longest drought in franchise history. The question is what to do next.
The first step is always taking stock of what happened and what is left. That’s part of the exit meeting process, in which coaches meet with each player. They discuss the season and their expectations moving forward—and potentially their role within it.
While we might not know all the details about what goes on between head coach Mike Tomlin and his players during these exit meetings, we do know how we would conduct those meetings if they were let up to us. So here are the Depot’s exit meetings for the Steelers’ roster following the 2023 season.
Player: Connor Heyward
Position: Tight End
Experience: 2 Years
Would you believe me if I told you Connor Heyward played more than twice as much last season than he did in 2022? I admit that surprised me a bit. He played 174 snaps in 2022 but kicked that all the way up to 403 last season. And 2023 rookie Darnell Washington played 511 snaps.
Of course, it makes a lot more sense when you remember that Pat Freiermuth missed five games. His snaps dropped from 743 in 2022 to 474 last season, so the Steelers had a lot of snaps to fill. You might not have noticed that Heyward played significantly more, though.
Statistically, he caught 23 passes on 34 targets, but for just 167 yards. He averaged a mere 7.3 yards per reception after posting a 12.6-yard mark as a rookie. Granted, he benefited from on 45-yard reception that year, but he still fared significantly worse in 2023.
I will say that he progressed somewhat as a blocker. He seemed to grow more comfortable in that department in the latter stages of the season. The entire tight end group made strides, perhaps partly due to substantial outside criticism.
But what is his role going forward? We’ve talked about him moving to fullback in the past, but is that how new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith views him? The Steelers worked him at fullback for a relative handful of snaps last season but by no means extensively.
The Steelers need to find an even bigger role for Freiermuth, quite frankly, especially if he has serious ambitions of being a viable blocker. Washington is pretty much already in his role. But Smith also leans toward heavier packages, so there is still room for Heyward.
I don’t know about 400-plus snaps, though, barring injuries. The Steelers seem to like him, but he hasn’t yet established himself or what he does well. He is something of a jack of all trades, for which they have more accomplished tradesmen. But he is of significant value on special teams.
