Steelers' Cameron Heyward Likely Calls Out Team Owner Art Rooney II: "You're Hiding Something"

The Pittsburgh Steelers are often associated with being one of the more stable organizations in all of professional sports. With six Super Bowl victories and numerous Hall of Fame players, the Rooney family has done an incredible job for so many decades. One of the most notable achievements is the franchise only having three head coaches since the 1969 campaign. While there has been plenty to celebrate over the years, current Owner Art Rooney II has faced some backlash in recent seasons. His loyalty to Mike Tomlin has upset many fans, but anonymous surveys via the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) have also painted him in a negative light.

Recently, it was reported that the league would be preparing to take some course of legal action with the NFLPA because the yearly surveys coming from the players allegedly violate the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). There are several mixed opinions regarding the status of the annual report cards, but one thing that is quite clear is that Rooney, who has received grades of an "F" and "D" in back-to-back years, is against them.

Cameron Heyward just so happens to be one of the 10 vice presidents that is part of the NFLPA. There's no doubt that he has a strong relationship with Rooney, with the defensive lineman being in the Steel City his entire career, but he wasn't subtle when asked about some owners rejecting the idea of report cards. He may know if Rooney is involved with the grievance that was filed, and the captain didn't mince his words when asked about it.

"I think to stop it, it just kind of feels like you're hiding something," Heyward said in a recently published piece from ESPN."

When it was first announced that a grievance had been pursued, Rooney was one of a few owners mentioned that have been vocal about the report cards being unnecessary. It's not too difficult to put two and two together and realize that the Steelers' leader had a bone to pick with the surveys. That, paired with Heyward's simple response, hint at the fact that the defender is fully on the players' side, no matter which team owner disagrees with the NFLPA.

Another veteran, who remained anonymous, sided with Heyward, implying that the report cards are designed to expose poor situations, and that specific owners getting upset proves exactly why the yearly exercise is necessary.

"The fact that there's pushback shows it's working," one 10-year veteran, who asked for anonymity, told ESPN.

Players deserve to have some sort of idea regarding the workplace situations in all 32 NFL buildings. These report cards were implemented to do exactly that, which has disallowed teams to get away with anything they may have gotten away with in the past. While there is no specific detail regarding Rooney's poor grades and why he is not highly-favored, it speaks volumes.

Heyward's comments could be received negatively by Rooney, but because football is a business, the two certainly understand that there has to be some sort of professional respect, regardless of a difference in opinions. Heyward knows how things in Pittsburgh work with ownership, but even a vested veteran like himself doesn't know everything that goes on behind closed doors. He, and the rest of the players, don't want to feel like anyone is hiding anything.

Steelers' Franchise Has Changed Since Art Rooney II Permanently Took Over

After Dan Rooney passed away in 2017, Art Rooney II took over full ownership of the organization. It's no secret that since the 2016 campaign, Pittsburgh has not been victorious in a playoff game. After the poor grades in recent seasons, it will be interesting to see what steps Art Rooney II does to change how he is viewed. Overall, things haven't been perfect for the Steelers since his father Dan's passing.

Do you think that some players in the Steelers' locker room think negatively of Art Rooney II? Let us know in the comments below!

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