Connor Heyward was one of the biggest winners when the Steelers hired Arthur Smith to be the team’s next offensive coordinator. Why? Smith loves to use tight ends and especially gadget tight ends like Heyward. Memes about Heyward being a Swiss Army knife for Smith’s offense circulated after the hiring and many people expect Heyward to have a bigger role this season.
While Heyward does seem like the perfect player for Smith’s offense, he is still an unproven player with just 35 receptions and one touchdown in his career. The benefit that Heyward has going for himself is that he is versatile, serving as the backup tight end, fullback, backup halfback and finds time on the special team units.
At the end of the day, Heyward is a football player and according to him, that is his position. Heyward goes through drills with the tight ends but trains for whatever may come his way.
“I do my Indy with the tight ends, but I always look at myself as a football player,” Heyward told Aaron Becker. “I’m just gonna do whatever the coaches tell me to do: running back, tight end, fullback, and special teams, of course because I know that is a part of my role. The more, the merrier.”
While the team has only practiced in shorts and helmets as of yet, Heyward is already seeing a clear difference in the offense. He stated that there is a new, fresh vibe in the locker room, something that lacked a season ago.
“OTAs and minicamp went very well,” Heyward said on an episode of the Irish Steelers Podcast last month. “I feel like we finished at a high level. We got better every day and guys went in with the right mindset. Russ (Wilson) and Justin (Fields) did a good job of setting the tempo and we just followed. I think it’s just really good, fresh, fresh ray in the building. That’s good. It’s good when you’re looking forward to going to work and you enjoy working with the guys that you work with.”
Heyward’s spot on the roster is pretty much guaranteed due to his special teams ability and his ability to play fullback among other positions. Under Smith, Heyward, and the other tight ends, are expected to be featured heavily and will need to produce at a high level in order for the team’s offense to take a step up in 2024.
83 • Connor Heyward, Tight End, Michigan State
6-foot-0, 230 pounds, 25 years old, 3rd Season
Acquired: The Steelers drafted Connor Heyward with the 208th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Last Season: Connor Heyward nearly doubled his receptions in his second season but his receiving yards went down. In 17 games, Heyward caught 23 passes for 167 yards. His yards per catch went down from a 12.6 yards per catch in 2022 to a 7.3 yards per catch in 2023. He recorded a blocked punt against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15’s loss.
Steelers TE Connor Heyward against the Baltimore Ravens, Jan. 6, 2024 – Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Career: Connor Heyward appeared in all 17 regular season games for the Steelers as a rookie in 2022. He caught his first NFL pass in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills. In that game, Heyward caught two passes for 12 yards. The next week, Heyward caught 2 passes for 49 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Heyward hauled in his first NFL touchdown in Week 13 against the Atlanta Falcons, a 17-yard toss from Kenny Pickett.
Heyward really picked up steam in the second half of the season. His first NFL carry was a game-clinching 21-yard run against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16. In the team’s final game of the season, Heyward recorded a season-high three catches for 45 yards against the Cleveland Browns.
In total, Heyward played in 17 games as a rookie and finished the year with 12 receptions for 151 yards and a receiving touchdown. He also added two carries for 27 yards.
Over his first two seasons, Heyward has appeared in 34 games and started seven of them. He has caught 35 passes for 318 yards and one touchdown.
| Year | GP | Receptions | Rec Yards | Rec TDs | Carries | Rush Yards | PFF Rating |
| 2022 | 17 | 12 | 151 | 1 | 2 | 27 | 74.1 |
| 2023 | 17 | 23 | 167 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 55.6 |
College: Connor Heyward committed to Michigan State University after a storied high school career at Peachtree Ridge High School. He appeared in 12 games as a true freshman and finished the year with four receptions for 13 yards and a touchdown. He added three carries for 10 yards on the ground. Heyward mainly starred on special teams as a returner where he led the Spartans with 20 kick returns for 436 return yards.
In 2018, Heyward appeared in 13 games for Michigan State and produced the best numbers of his collegiate career. He posted 32 receptions for 249 yards while adding 118 carries for 529 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. He posted five games with 100 or more all-purpose yards. For his efforts, he was named a semifinalist for the Paul Hornung Award which is given to the nation’s most versatile player.
Heyward played in the first four games of the 2019 season before being shut down to preserve his redshirt. He finished the year with seven receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown. He added 24 carries for 79 yards on the ground in 2019.
Heyward played in seven games in 2020 as he led the team in carries with 65 and he ran for 200 yards. He added 18 receptions for 71 yards and two touchdowns as a redshirt junior.
In 2021, Heyward started all 13 games for the Spartans at tight end after switching from running back in the spring. He hauled in 35 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns as a redshirt senior. He carried the ball just once for sevens yards. Heyward capped off his Michigan State career by helping lead an 11-point comeback against No. 11 Pitt in the Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl as he caught five passes for 37 yards and a fourth-quarter 15-yard touchdown.
| Year | GP | Receptions | Rec Yards | Rec TDs | Carries | Rush Yards | Rush TDs |
| 2017 | 12 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 0 |
| 2018 | 13 | 32 | 249 | 0 | 118 | 529 | 5 |
| 2019 | 4 | 7 | 52 | 1 | 24 | 79 | 0 |
| 2020 | 7 | 18 | 71 | 2 | 65 | 200 | 0 |
| 2021 | 13 | 35 | 326 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
Salary cap and future: Connor Heyward is entering the third year of his standard four-year rookie contract. He will cost $1.02 million against the Steelers’ 2024 cap space. Heyward is signed with the team through the end of the 2025 season when he will become a free agent.
