Roman Wilson going down in practice today was not good for a Pittsburgh Steelers team that already has question marks at receiver. While George Pickens looks like an emerging star, the rest of that room is unproven. However, while the Steelers might not have proven bodies in their receiver room, they may be able to substitute some of that production through the use of their tight ends. Pat Freiermuth figures to be a big contributor for the Steelers and Darnell Washington should take a step up, but Connor Heyward may be the forgotten man. Fortunately, it seems like he’s ready to play whatever role he can for the Steelers.
In a video on Twitter from Steelers Live, Heyward was asked after practice how he feels about his role in the offense this year and if he could see it evolving.
“I want my role to evolve even more,” Heyward said. “Going into year three, it doesn’t matter if I’m playing fullback, H-back, Y, F, Z, with all the different personnel. I just wanna be in the game. I’m not somebody that needs the ball a thousand times. I can play without the ball, and I’m gonna do my job, but when the ball comes to me, I wanna make a play.”
Considering how much Arthur Smith’s offense figures to use tight ends, Heyward should get more opportunities to make plays. He even flashed his receiving skills today in practice. He’s proven that he can be useful and reliable in the past, but he may need to take an even greater jump this year. However, that versatility may end up being his greatest strength. If the Steelers elect to keep Freiermuth, Washington, and another tight end that isn’t Heyward, he may end up as the team’s fullback.
That’s a role he’s played before in college, so it won’t be anything new, and it could make the Steelers offense even more dangerous. That kind of versatility could be crucial for the Steelers in close games, allowing them to be more flexible as a whole. In years past, their offense has been boring and predictable, but with Heyward playing a more Swiss-army knife role, that could be the exact opposite.
If Heyward can evolve as a blocker, too, he could become even more invaluable to this offense. His willingness to be useful to the Steelers without the ball in his hands will become important. He also could be an asset on special teams. Really, Heyward could be the perfect “glue guy” for the Steelers this year. If they continue to suffer injuries like the one to Wilson, Heyward might be the break-glass-in-case-of-emergency player for any injuries on the Steelers offense. If that is the case, he will find himself getting the chance to make a play quite often.
