ALTOONA, Pa. -- No, Cam Heyward isn't in Indianapolis to interview for the upcoming vacant general manager position nor is he there to compete at the NFL Scouting Combine. He's there to see his brother Connor, a tight end out from Michigan State, go through the a litany of tests and drills this week that make up the combine.
Though, he did play the role of general manager when he joined host Andrew Siciliano on NFL Network's 'NFL Total Access' Thursday from the combine.
Heyward, a cerebral player and well-respected leader in the locker room, is well aware of this being the first time in 18 years the Steelers are looking for a quarterback in the draft. So, what does he think the Steelers should do?
"There are so many different options we have,' Heyward said. "Obviously, we have Mason (Rudolph) and Dwayne Haskins and what they've done on the field, they've shown they can play at the next level, but there are other options as well."
Bringing in new players is nothing new for current general manager Kevin Colbert, who has had quite a run of success during his illustrious tenure with the Steelers.
"Kevin has done a great job of bringing in guys, but we'll see what he's done at quarterback," Heyward said. "The last one he picked was Ben Roethlisberger."
Of course, finding the next Roethlisberger isn't going to come easy, though, this draft class is seemingly loaded with potential.
"You've got some really cool guys like Malik Willis and Kenny Pickett, Desmond Ridder. You could go down the list there are some really quality quarterbacks, but then, there's the free agent thing where you look at a guy like Jacoby Brissett or you look at a guy like Teddy Bridgewater or Jameis Winston or you could obviously trade for a guy. And there's guys out there that might cost some draft capital, but we'll see what happens."
Heyward has been in the league 11 years now and the clock on his career is quickly picking up pace. Winning now is important to Heyward and he's only played for a veteran starting quarterback in his career save for when Rudolph and Duck Hodges were in the lineup.
When it comes to a rookie or a veteran leading the way for Heyward, where's he stand?
"Who's to say a rookie quarterback can't win, though? It's possible," Heyward said It relies a lot on your defense and your offensive parts that you already have, which we already have Most teams don't have a Najee Harris running the ball or a (Chase) Claypool or a Diontae Johnson."
That's only one side of the football. What about defensively? To put it mildly, it doesn't seem like there will be any issues on that front moving forward.
"We have a monster group. I feel like you've got the defensive player of the year, you've got Minkah Fitzpatrick, myself, Stephon Tuitt, Tyson Alualu. Combine that all together and that is a winning success. You've just got to have a quarterback."
More from his appearance
• On mobile quarterbacks: "Everybody wants that squeaky new toy, now. Everybody wants that mobile quarterback, it's no longer just a trend anymore it's become a prerequisite now to be able to run the ball because we have so many RPO's and you want to be able to stretch the field. What better way to take advantage of those Cover-2 looks and be able to run the ball down the field with the quarterback."
• On the retirement of Roethlisberger: "With things the way they went and the way it was implied, we all got the sense that he was moving towards that (retirement). We wanted to give him the send off he deserved. Obviously, we didn't end up with the Super Bowl, but I felt like every game he was getting a standing ovation for not only the performance he had on the field but what he had accomplished in the past."
• On Willis: "I haven't seen him play, but he actually has a relationship with my little brother Conner and so, he's from Georgia. Every week I felt like I kept hearing about him. He's electrifying, he's really lightning in a bottle. He went from Auburn to Liberty and usually when you go to Liberty you get forgotten. This guy has stayed on the map throughout the entire year, excited to see where he goes."
