Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Connor Heyward recorded 174 offensive snaps during his rookie season. While part of that was an extension of on-the-job injuries that gave him opportunities, he proved to be a bigger contributor than the vast majority anticipated he would be from the start.
And he’s looking forward to an even bigger role as he begins his second season, including having the ball in his hands. Appearing on the Steel Here podcast, he said he was looking to get more touches “For sure” in 2023. He logged 14 total touches as a rookie, including two carries, which he acknowledged he would like to do more of.
A small player for a tight end, Heyward was used in a variety of ways as a rookie. Using him more effectively will be an ongoing experiment, and it remains to be seen if that includes giving him the ball more often. He has experience as a runner in college.
In total, he caught 12 passes on 17 targets for 151 yards and a touchdown. That turned out to be a rather special touchdown, taking place in his hometown of Atlanta, where his late father Craig spent part of his career and where he raised his family, including his older brother, Cameron. The two visited his father’s grave earlier that day before the game.
Of his two carries, one was a late-game 21-yard gain against the Los Vegas Raiders that sealed a win. Although it was unlikely to make a difference, he wisely gave up on the limits to allow the clock to expire with less than 25 seconds to play. The other run from him picked up six yards in the end to convert on 3 and 1.
Heyward made the 53-man roster over Kevin Rader, who spent a few seasons on the Steelers’ practice squad, and despite the fact that they also had fullback Derek Watt. He served as the No. 3 tight end behind Pat Freiermuth and Zach Gentry.
With Gentry and Watt set to become unrestricted free agents at the start of the new league year, it’s unclear what the skill-blocking position rooms will look like for the regular season. If they feel Heyward is capable of doing what Watt was asked to do on offense (which was often pretty little), that would open another door.
The Steelers would like to re-sign Gentry, their number two tight end. He himself said that he would be surprised if the team did not do what he had to do to try to retain him. But he also acknowledged at the time that no one had yet spoken to him about the details of the contract.