Mike Tomlin confirmed our fears. Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward is out for the near future with a groin injury that he’ll have surgery on tomorrow. Gerry Dulac and Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Monday that he’ll be sidelined for up to eight weeks. Tomlin would not speak on the pertinents, saying he didn’t have a lot of details.
“I’ll give you an update on the other side of the surgery,” Tomlin said in his weekly press conference. “When we get a complete totality of time and what it is and and and so forth and things of that nature.”
Buy Steelers TicketsA vague update, indeed. But no surprise coming from Tomlin. He would only say how significant losing Heyward is — also no surprise.
“Obviously, losing Cam is significant. But that’s what team is about. Replacing Cam is not a one-man job. It’s is a multiple-man job and a coach’s job because it changes your schematics when you lose significant players. And so are we all acknowledged that, and we all run to that, not away from that. That’s an opportunity for us to show what team is about. Things that we hold near and dear, like next man up. We have an opportunity to make that real when we’re faced with the adversity that comes with attrition in this game. And so that’s our mindset, that’s our plan. Multiple people, schematics included.”
Heyward’s injury came on a play during Pittsburgh’s loss to the 49ers on Sunday. He attempted to re-enter the game but came back out almost immediately.
The Steelers have rarely been without the services of Heyward. He’s suited up for 184 career games and hasn’t missed one since the final week of the 2020 season in preparation for the playoffs. You’d have to go back to 2016 for his most injury-riddled year when he was dealing with a hamstring and pectoral tear, which put him on injured reserve for the second half of the season.
