Pittsburgh Steelers Exit Meeting: TE Connor Heyward
Experience: 3 Years
What happened to Connor Heyward in 2024? Despite Russell Wilson’s weekly praise, he saw his role in the offense considerably reduced, particularly as a skill player. Even with an offensive coordinator who favors tight ends and fullbacks, Arthur Smith couldn’t find much use for him.
Entering the final year of his rookie contract, some wonder if Heyward has seen his last snap with the Steelers. Even if he were to miss the 53-man roster, though, they would likely retain him on the practice squad. And it’s important to remember this: they drafted him primarily for special teams.
And in that area, he was no slouch in 2024. While Connor Heyward’s offensive snap count dipped to 207, he played 303 special teams snaps. And he made eight tackles along the way, giving him 19 in his career. He doesn’t have a forced fumble yet, but he hits hard enough to produce one in time.
Offensively, the Steelers leaned heavily on Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, but even MyCole Pruitt saw work ahead of Heyward. Lacking the size to play in-line, they simply have to be more creative with how they employ him.
But they felt much less urgency to use him as an offensive weapon—again, thanks to Freiermuth and Washington. The Steelers played Heyward a fair bit in 2023, but that had a lot to do with an extended injury to Freiermuth, and Washington was still just a rookie.
Still, the disparity in their usage of him as a weapon is significant. Even as a rookie, he drew 17 targets, and that dropped to just eight last season. Heyward caught six of them for 40 yards, including one touchdown. He did not attempt a run this year, or, mercifully, a pass.
The top of the Steelers’ tight end depth chart is set for at least the next two years. But where do Connor Heyward and MyCole Pruitt fit in? Heyward is under contract; Pruitt is a free agent, but a favorite of Arthur Smith.
It didn’t appear as though Smith had any particular affinity for Heyward. If the Steelers add another tight end along the way, that could be a problem for him. They just signed Donald Parham Jr., who could challenge him. But it’s hard to imagine they will bring in somebody who has a larger role on special teams. As much as fans might decry the Steelers making a decision on that basis, that is the reality of things.
The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves at home, the inevitable result of another early playoff exit. This is a repeated pattern for the organization, with no clear end in sight. As the Steelers conduct their own exit meetings, we will go down the roster conducting our own. Who should stay, and who should go, and how? Who should expect a bigger role next season, and who might deserve a new contract? We’ll explore those questions and more in these articles, part of an annual series.
