The Pittsburgh Steelers have had lots of trouble moving the football offensively ever since the Killer B's broke up. They have tried numerous things to jumpstart the unit, but it has been inconsistent at best over that time frame. General Manager Omar Khan has overhauled the skill positions on offense during the 2025 offseason by bringing in new weapons and a former MVP at quarterback. The team is expecting all of these transactions to be game-changers, even though analysts and fans worry that they are more lateral moves than anything else.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan answer questions from the Pittsburgh media.
One of those moves involved acquiring tight end Jonnu Smith in a three-player trade. He is seen as a guy that can also line up at wide receiver and fullback to help give the team more versatility and creativity. However, the addition of one player usually means someone else gets put on the outside looking in.
While making an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor was asked about Smith's potential usage in the offense. She confirmed the numerous reports about him getting moved around, but that also means that someone like Connor Heyward may be out of a job soon.
"I think [Jonnu Smith] can do a little bit of everything; in some ways, do the things that we said that Connor Heyward could do in terms of being a fullback, maybe being a receiver, being an undersized tight end," Pryor said. "That is Jonnu Smith times 1,000. I think that he has a much much higher ceiling than Connor Heyward, and I think that I'd be a little bit nervous if I were in Connor Heyward's shoes right now. There's only so many roster spots."
Heyward was drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the idea of him being a versatile player that could do a little bit of everything offensively. Instead, he has mostly been a special teamer during his three seasons in Pittsburgh, while having a minimal impact on the offensive side of the ball.
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Brothers Cameron and Connor Heyward share an emotional moment during a regular season game in Atlanta for the Steelers.
Heyward had 38% of the offensive snaps in 2023, but that number dropped significantly to just 18% in 2024. The team has already started to faze him out of his already-slim role, and adding Smith will only result in him getting less snaps if he even makes the 53-man roster. The NFL is a tough business, and Khan may have to cut the defensive captain's little brother in order to make room for newer acquisitions.
In three seasons with the Steelers, Heyward had 41 total receptions for 358 yards and two touchdowns, as well as just three rushing attempts for 27 yards. On special teams, he's had 19 tackles, a fumble recovery, and a blocked punt. Even though he has proven to have way more value in that third phase of the game, the team is loaded with special teams aces.
Steelers Have Ironic Twist With Heyward Brothers
Since Heyward was initially seen as a fullback when he was drafted, he was competing with Derek Watt, who is the older brother of TJ Watt. After spending a year together as teammates, Derek Watt lost his job. TJ was left as the only Watt on the team, so Cameron Heyward was able to spend some time with Connor in the black and gold.
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Steelers outside linebacker T Watt poses with brother Derek when he was still a member of the team.
Instead of family relations, Connor Heyward might lose his job because Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith presumably wants to reestablish his connection with his versatile tight end in Smith. He and Jonnu have had a good relationship from their time with two different teams, so a third time may bring similar success. Connor has a lot to prove if he wants to be on the roster come Week 1.
What do you think about Connor Heyward possibly losing a roster spot because of the most recent trade? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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