Cam Heyward beamed with optimism less than 24 hours after watching the Steelers' 36-17 season-ending loss to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
"You wish you could be out there," Heyward said Monday afternoon during locker room clean-out day at Rooney Sports Complex. "All we can worry about is next year."
He has a reason to look ahead. After missing the final 11 games of the season, Heyward said he is "ahead of schedule" in his rehabilitation from a torn pectoral muscle, though he would not commit to returning in time for OTAs this spring or even the start of training camp.
"I’ll be around," Heyward said of his offseason plans. "I don’t know what status I’ll be at. I’ve progressed pretty well. I was ahead of schedule in a lot of things. Hopefully we can just continue to keep doing that."
Heyward suffered the injury during the Steelers' 35-30 loss to the Cowboys on Nov.13, though he did not miss a snap in that game. Two days later, he announced on his personal Instagram account that his season was over.
Heyward finished the season with 21 tackles and had a team-high three sacks through nine weeks. Those three sacks all came in the Steelers' 43-14 victory over the Chiefs on Oct. 2 at Heinz Field. A hamstring injury kept him out of losses to the Patriots and Dolphins on Oct. 16 and Oct. 23, respectively.
Before that time, Heyward had never missed a football game in his career, not only his time in the NFL but also in high school and college. In those two games, the Steelers allowed a combined 362 rushing yards.
His optimism did not overshadow the disappointment of watching the season end. Heyward saw how badly his teammates needed him against the Patriots.
"Get back," Heyward said of his rehab plan. "I’ll be here, and I’ve got to make this my most important offseason and get back for my teammates."
After his injury against the Cowboys, the Steelers turned to Ricardo Mathews and, most recently, L.T. Walton to fill in. That pair helped the Steelers allow just 100 rushing yards per game during the regular season, and the duo combined for only one sack.
They did improve in the playoffs, though, holding opponents to 56.7 rushing yards in three games.
The Steelers held the Patriots to 57 rushing yards on 27 carries Sunday night but had little success pressuring Tom Brady, who threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns while being pressured on only six of his 44 drop backs.
"Yeah, we needed more pressure," Heyward said. "It was a little bit inconsistent, whether it was the quick passing. They did some things and they converted. You tip your hat to them."
The loss, specifically the Steelers' inability to pressure Brady, brought questions of whether or not this team has what it takes to surpass the almighty Patriots. When the question was raised to Heyward, he stopped and pointed toward the empty locker room stalls of Mathews, Walton and rookie nose tackle Javon Hargrave. Their progress, he said, gave reason for optimism.
Hargrave might have been the Steelers' best defensive lineman Sunday night, recording five tackles, including one of the team's two sacks on Brady. He called the lessons learned under Heyward invaluable during his rookie season and cannot wait to see what this defensive line is capable of when it returns to full strength.
"We’re ready to grow on that," Hargrave said. "We have to find a way to get better as a group and as a unit to help this team win."
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