Steelers 2-a-days: Longest-tenured Steeler Cameron Heyward joined by little bro Connor

Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, the Trib will be running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2022 season. The breakdown will go through the roster in mostly-alphabetical order, two per day, between June 11 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

DT CAMERON HEYWARD

Experience: 12^th season

Contract status: $17.4 million cap hit in 2022, signed through 2024

2022 outlook: It might be unfair to go so far as to refer to the Steelers as “Heyward’s team,” but in the wake of the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger he is unquestionably and easily the most tenured player in the organization, the second oldest on the team and undoubtedly on tap to be named a captain for the eighth consecutive year. Only position mate Tyson Alualu (35) is older than Heyward, who has had a unique NFL career: he seems to get better with age.

He was a backup his first two seasons and didn’t earn a Pro Bowl honor until his seventh season. But once Heyward broke through, he became one of the best in the NFL: five consecutive Pro Bowls with three first-team and one second-team All Pro honors in that time.

Heyward was open during a national interview this spring that he considers himself on the same level as three-time defensive player of the year Aaron Donald among NFL defensive linemen. He might not win a DPOY award like Donald (who has three), but if Heyward stays healthy and age doesn’t rapidly catch up to him, he’s a worthy All Pro and it is reasonable for the Steelers to expect high-level play from him again in 2022.

With their sixth-round pick, the #Steelers made it four sets of brothers on their roster by taking Michigan State TE Connor Heyward with the 208th overall pick. Heyward is the younger brother of DL Cameron Heyward.https://t.co/He4qGev3ay

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) April 30, 2022

TE CONNOR HEYWARD

Experience: Rookie

Contract status: $743,806 cap hit in 2022, signed through 2025

2022 outlook: Cameron’s little brother (he’s a full decade younger), Heyward was a sixth-round pick out of Michigan State. Heyward’s college career was spent primarily as a running back. At 6-foot, 230 pounds, he moved to tight end for his fifth season in 2021.

There was speculation the Steelers would deploy Heyward as a fullback — and they still could on occasion, and a position switch down the line is always possible — but he repped exclusively as a tight end during organized team activities and minicamp. That’s a position room with Pat Freiermuth firmly entrenched as a starter and Zach Gentry having developed into an ideal complementary piece. Kevin Rader also has showed signs of being a capable No. 3.

Still, Heyward’s skillset is unique in that the Steelers probably never intended for him to be a “traditional” tight end, anyway. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada while calling plays in college had a tendency to think outside the box (including with his tight ends), so it’s possible that Heyward could show enough to be used in an H-back style role as he adjusts to the NFL level.

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