The Pittsburgh Steelers lost Connor Heyward to the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency, and with the Raiders, Heyward is moving to a more traditional fullback role.
Appearing on Movin’ The Chains on SiriusXM NFL Radio earlier this week, Heyward discussed his transition after primarily playing tight end with the Steelers.
“I feel like the transition is going well. Obviously new to me, playing strictly fullback. In Pittsburgh played more of the tight end position, played fullback at times and the tush push last year,” Heyward said. “I feel like I’m picking up on it. It’s the West Coast [offense], but it’s something that you have to know on the back of your hand and be able to play fast, because you can do so many things within this offense.”
The Steelers never fully embraced the idea of Heyward playing fullback. He did serve, mostly successfully, as the team’s tush-push quarterback last season, which led to him scoring two rushing touchdowns on 15 carries.
Had Heyward stayed with the Steelers, it’s worth wondering if Mike McCarthy would’ve made him a primary fullback in his West Coast scheme.
The Steelers drafted Indiana’s Riley Nowakowski to play fullback, but he’s also being used creatively at tight end in offseason workouts. It feels like his addition was a direct response to Heyward leaving.
After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Steelers, Heyward said he’s moved on and is fully embracing Las Vegas and the Raiders.
“I’ve embraced my role. I’ve embraced the people here. I’ve embraced the city here. I’ve moved on to this chapter,” Heyward said. “I loved Pittsburgh, but I feel like I’m gonna transition well. And I feel like I’ve transitioned well up to this point.”
It’s a great new opportunity for Heyward to have a more prominent role, and he’ll be doing so under an up-and-coming playcaller in Klint Kubiak.
Heyward is also a veteran presence on offense for the Raiders. The team did sign Kirk Cousins, but with Fernando Mendoza, Ashton Jeanty, Brock Bowers and second-year receivers Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton, Heyward is one of the elder statesmen on offense.
Drafting Nowakowski helps fill the void, but Heyward’s consistency on special teams and reliable play when called upon on offense will be missed by the Steelers.
In Las Vegas, Heyward is looking to make the most of his new role and help the Raiders as they try to be a dark horse in the loaded AFC West.
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