The Pittsburgh Steelers love their bloodlines when it comes to players. Under head coach Mike Tomlin, they’ve leaned heavily into those bloodlines, adding that type of talent when they can.
Players like outside linebacker T.J. Watt, defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, cornerback Joey Porter Jr, wide receiver DK Metcalf, and linebacker Carson Bruener come to mind on the current roster. Names like Terrell and Trey Edmunds, Maurkice Pouncey, Devin Bush, Derek Watt and more come to mind previously.
None of those players were ever scoffed at when it came to why they were on the roster, or what their bloodlines had to do with them being in the NFL.
Yet, for Connor Heyward — who made the 53-man roster for the fourth straight year in Pittsburgh — many seem to (erroneously) believe he’s only on the roster so the Steelers can curry favor with his older brother.
On the latest episode of his Not Just Football podcast, Cameron Heyward made it clear that he has had enough of the disrespect toward his brother.
“I don’t think he gets enough love for the dirty work he does. I know there’s a lot made out about he’s my brother, but the dude works his ass off, comes to practice,” Heyward said, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “He is a special teams energy bringer and not many white shirts, like we like to call ’em, have 10-plus tackles in the year. And we don’t value that enough, I think, as a fan base.
“And I think as a fan base, I just ask that you respect the way that kid works. Stop looking at it as my little brother, respect how he does it and go about your business.”
Since joining the Steelers as a sixth-round pick out of Michigan State in the 2022 NFL Draft, Heyward has turned himself into a reliable special teams piece under coordinator Danny Smith.
He’s also developed into a good depth tight end and fullback combination, wearing a number of hats to put himself in position to contribute offensively. Even new Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers spoke highly of Heyward unsolicited this summer, praising him for how smart he is.
Rodgers isn’t doing that as a favor to Cameron Heyward. He truly believes it and likes working with Connor Heyward.
But even with that vote of confidence from Rodgers, there’s still a lot of animosity thrown Connor Heyward’s way. It led to him speaking out the other day to the Post-Gazette, stating he believes he’s Steelers fans’ new scapegoat.
It’s just wrong and overlooks the contributions Heyward has made in his first three NFL season. Since joining the Steelers in 2022, Heyward has logged 784 offensive snaps, and he’s topped that on special teams with 834 snaps under Smith.
Heyward has hauled in 41 passes for 358 yards and two touchdowns, and has even added three carries for 27 yards, showing off his versatility. On special teams, Heyward has 19 career tackles, along with a fumble recovery, which occurred last season against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Despite that production and versatility as a former late-round pick, he continues to be cast aside as some sort of charity case on the roster, with many consistently citing nepotism.
Cam Heyward has had enough.
“Y’all don’t respect him for who he is and how he works,” Cam Heyward said. “And if you all saw the way he cares and saw the way he puts in the time to try to get better and answer all those things. I just feel like y’all have done him a disservice in not giving that kid a chance. And I’ll say this: half of the people talking can’t even line up, so I don’t want to hear anything more about them. He doesn’t get enough respect, but I don’t think y’all could even do what he’s doing.
“I wish a lot of people would just shut up and let him work.”
It’s not just fans, either. Some media members, too, have been a bit loose with pushing the narrative that Connor Heyward is only on the team to keep his brother happy. Cameron knows it’s a business. Heck, he’s dealing with the business aspect right now with wanting a new contract. He’s not worried about his brother being on the team or not, he has his own stuff to deal with.
And it’s not as if Connor Heyward is an absolute zero who provides nothing. Time and time again he’s showing up in big spots on special teams, or even on offense. Yes, he hasn’t always made the plays offensively, but quarterbacks trust him. That matters.
Check out the full episode of Not Just Football with Cam Heyward below.
