One of the best, feel-good stories of the 2022 NFL Draft was the reunion of the Heyward brothers.
The Steelers brought in Connor Heyward out of Michigan State in the sixth round to reunite with brother Cam Heyward, an age difference of 10 years and an NFL experience gap of 10 years. It was one of the best moments to highlight in recent memory, as Connor then vied for a roster spot in training camp, made the team, and now has a locker next door to his brother in the corner of the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
But Connor is now 13 games into his career, which is quite a bit for a sixth-round rookie tight end and simultaneously just a blip when compared to the time which Cam has put in.
Though just 13 games into his pro career, Connor already feels he is beginning to hit his stride as a professional football player.
"I would say completely," Heyward told me during a one-on-one sit-down on the South Side. "On and off the field, getting into my routine and after my routine, I feel like I'm getting in a rhythm. I just feel like I'm in a rhythm right now. Usually this deep in the season you should be in a rhythm, and when you're in that rhythm it's a good thing going into each game. I feel like we're all getting better each and every week. Obviously we didn't win (last week) but I still feel like we're going in the right direction."
Heyward said that rhythm and growth has mainly come on the field. He would be correct.
Over the last month, Heyward has seen more snaps and routes as a pure tight end and away from his usual special teams role. He has played in double-digit offensive snaps in three consecutive games -- the longest such streak this season -- including 14 snaps at tight end two weeks ago in his home state of Georgia during the Steelers' game against the Falcons. He notably caught his first career touchdown against the Falcons in a special moment shared with brother Cam and in memory of their late father, Craig 'Ironhead' Heyward.
That touchdown was an unforgettable moment for the Heyward brothers, no question, but that play did not just happen as a matter of fact, nor because of the desire to simply get Connor Heyward into the end zone on that day just because. That play happened to be caught in the middle of a trend for Heyward, who backed his effort against the Falcons by playing in 11 offensive snaps -- 20% -- last week against the Ravens.
"I think he has gotten better," Matt Canada said on Thursday. "He's been a guy that we've been high on since we've got him, and I've been a fan of his. I think I've said that multiple times. I think he's certainly trending in the right direction as coach likes to say. He made a big play a couple weeks ago and he made a really big catch, that was a tough catch over the middle on Sunday. So I do think his -- when you make those plays your opportunities continue to grow -- through injuries at different spots, different personnel groups, different plans, all those things kind of factor into it. But he certainly is trending in the right way. His ability to understand our offense, his job has increased his play."
Heyward isn't the prototypical build for a tight end, at 5-foot-11 and 233 pounds. But, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
"Connor's been making a lot of plays, for sure, for the team, too," Najee Harris said. "For him to get implemented a lot in our game plan, that has shown, and he's going to get more reps, too. To get him going and for him to get more experience, too, because obviously he's a real good player. He's athletic. He brings a different type of trait to that position. He's going to be pretty good."
In total, Heyward has not blown up the stat sheet this season by any means. He has caught just nine passes for 106 yards and the touchdown in Atlanta. But he has been reliable in the 10 times he has been targeted, and his 11.8 yards per catch is right on par with Pat Freiermuth's 11.9 YPC. (Zach Gentry averages 6.5 YPC.)
"Connor's doing a fantastic job of maturing and getting along," Gentry said. "Rookies usually come in, and I think he was a little bit above the curve, honestly, as a rookie. He got to play right away. Someone who's shifty and athletic, has always caught the ball well. Just getting some more opportunity, and it's good for him. He's catching the ball, and I think he's very versatile. There's a lot of different things we can do with him on offense, so it's kind of exciting to see him expand his role a little bit."
Gentry followed up by mentioning Heyward got above the curve from the get-go.
"Usually rookies come in and it's like their freshman year," Gentry said. "They're a little starry eyed and it takes them a while to get the playbook down, like I said, and he right away was on his P's and Q's. He didn't have many mental errors throughout camp, and just from that alone, being able to mentally get ahead is really big, especially as a rookie. Him able to do that quickly just kind of set the stage for his year."
Sounds like Connor's big brother had a bit of an influence on him.
When I approached Cam in the locker room this week to talk about Connor, he gave me a big smile and an emphatic "what about him?" before I could get my question out.
But, I asked Cam about Connor's maturation, and he gave a big brother-esque answer to it.
"He's still a young guy," Cam said. "He's still growing. Ever growing. He's got to continue to grow. We've got to keep staying on top of him. He's got to get better."
If big brother says it, it must be true.
And while Connor will always have Cam to lean on, he has taken each week to inch away from Cam's shadow.
"Cam has his own family," Connor said. "Obviously we're family. We're brothers. But he has three kids, he has a wife. I know he has a lot. There's other guys on the team that can also do the same thing Cam can do, and I would do the same thing if they ever needed me."
