Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Connor Heyward was brutally honest about the Jonnu Smith trade rumors.
Typically, it’s veteran defensive lineman Cameron Heyward who speaks out on team matters publicly, but this time, his younger brother Connor Heyward addressed the Pittsburgh Steelers trade rumors involving tight end Jonnu Smith. And he didn’t hold back.
“I mean, we all see it, but let’s be honest, it would be complicated having him and Pat [Freiermuth],” Heyward said of Smith on June 4 via Steelers Now. “They’re kind of the same type of tight end. They both gotta have 100 balls a year thrown their way, so you’ve seen that.”
“We all have produced — me, Darnell [Washington], and Pat,” Heyward added. “So if that was to happen, we’d welcome it. At the same time, we know Pat’s our guy right now.”
Translation: This tight end room does not need or want Smith to join it.
“Our offense is gonna go through [Freiermuth], DK [Metcalf], [Calvin Austin], and our running backs,” Heyward continued, making his opinion clear. “When me and Darnell get in, we make the most of it. We know our role, and Pat is one of our major guys here. And not just here with the Steelers. Here in the city.”
You rarely hear an NFL player speak this candidly on a reported trade rumor, especially a former sixth-round pick, but the Heyward brothers have become leaders within the locker room. And apparently Connor Heyward feels comfortable speaking his mind.
Although there is some self-preservation involved in this statement, the fourth-year pro did well to compliment teammates while also sending a message at the Steelers’ front office. It’ll be interesting to see if they listen with fellow tight end Donald Parham Jr. now officially out for the season.
Steelers’ Connor Heyward Lets Telling Comment Slip About George Pickens While Discussing Jonnu Smith Trade Rumors
At the start of Connor Heyward’s Smith answer, he also made a very telling comment about former Steelers wide receiver George Pickens.
“If that [trade] was to happen — and I don’t think it’s gonna happen. Pat [Freiermuth’s] here. We have DK [Metcalf],” the tight end reasoned. Adding: “That’s like having George [Pickens] and DK. You’ve gotta have one or [the other].”
Veteran beat reporter Mark Kaboly relayed that very few players brought up Pickens during the first week of OTAs.
“I didn’t hear much comment, if any, about the departure of George Pickens,” Kaboly stated on May 29. “Sure, his name was likely brought up, but if it was, it didn’t amount to much. Honestly, I don’t think many care if he was traded or not.”
That Heyward quote seems to jive with Kaboly’s observation.
Not only does Heyward give the impression that he did not care that Pickens was traded, but it almost sounds like he’s backing the Steelers’ decision as the right thing to do. Which shows he’s not willing to go to bat for Pickens like he just did for Freiermuth.
To reiterate, he said: “That’s like having George [Pickens] and DK. You’ve gotta have one or [the other].”
And he said this when it is common knowledge that most NFL teams have two high-caliber wide receivers on their roster.
Darnell Washington Has Stood Out at Steelers OTAs
The odd part about this Jonnu Smith rumor is that Washington has earned early recognition at OTAs, not to mention the Freiermuth role that Heyward detailed.
During the same post on May 29, Kaboly talked about what he’s seen from Washington at OTAs.
“Don’t always believe what’s on Twitter,” the veteran reporter wrote, shooting down Steelers trade rumors for Smith.
“It was reported that the Steelers are interested in Miami tight end Jonnu Smith via a trade,” he continued. “Omar Khan has said on multiple occasions that he can’t believe the amount of fake news out there. I may have to file that Smith interest under that category, even though the connections with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who coached Smith at Tennessee and Atlanta and is a big fan of his play, bring some believability to it all.”
“Forget that the Steelers already have a legitimate TE1 in Freiermuth, but the way Darnell Washington has asserted himself in the passing game through three offseason practices can’t be dismissed,” Kaboly noted. “Washington looks quick, fluid, and can I say speedy for a 6-8, 300-pound tight end? Washington lumbered his way through his first two years, but he looks like a guy who got some magic elixir applied to his bum knee.”
“He could be a guy who stood out to me the first week,” he concluded at the time.
If the Steelers do trade for Smith, it’ll certainly surprise a lot of people in and around the Pittsburgh organization.
