The Pittsburgh Steelers have a strength, if not a surplus, at tight end. Pat Freiermuth has made good on his Day 2 draft capital and earned a second contract. Darnell Washington is a de facto tackle whose athleticism still manages to make him an occasional mismatch. Undrafted free agent JJ Galbreath is a purebred receiving option from the slot, and Connor Heyward has provided quality depth.
If all four are going to make the roster, though, the Steelers might have to get creative. Heyward is on the case.
The Steelers’ tight end is preparing for a position change in 2025. He’s set to take on more snaps at fullback, adding the backfield to his repertoire. To do so, he’s bulking up from 230 pounds to 240.
“My senior year I played at 240,” Heyward said, via Nick Farabaugh of Penn Live. “I was blocking some bigger guys, so just really hitting the weight room with Cam (Heyward). I know it’s got to be a big year in every type of way, special teams, offense, when I’m in there, perimeter blocking. I also just got bigger because he’s more at fullback. Just come and look at that type.”
Heyward has played at 240 pounds before, and doing so could add more credence to his ability to pave the way for running backs Jaylen Warren, Kaleb Johnson, and Kenneth Gainwell.
Adding mass won’t be the only thing on his agenda. As he enters his fourth season, and his second under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, he hopes to grow into his role as an ancillary piece of both the passing and rushing attack.
“Honestly, just locking on the playbook. I feel like everything’s just slowed down. Last year, everything was moving fast. Not saying that I didn’t know it, but just comfortable.”
Smith won’t be making a strict transition to fullback. But he’ll be adding it to his arsenal, making him (and by extension, Pittsburgh’s offense) more versatile. If he can look the part in the backfield while moonlighting in-line and occasionally holding his own in the slot, Smith can deploy him without tipping his hand.
“I honestly feel like I can be more versatile than I have been in my career,” he added. “Whenever I lined up, it was at a tight end position, slot, wing. I feel like this year I can be more at a fullback position and just be able to be a moving piece and help the team in any way. That’s what I want to do this year.”
Heyward may also gain from this development in free agency. Whether it is signing a more lucrative extension or hitting the market, showcasing this expanded versatility may increase his potential suitors in March, especially if it comes with real success.
It’s too early to tell just how aggressive the Steelers will be in deploying Heyward, but adding an extra element to Heyward’s game could very well unlock a ground game that stagnated in 2024.
