Cam Heyward defended his brother Connor Heyward following his signing of a two-year, $5.5 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders. On his Not Just Football podcast, Heyward highlighted Connor's contributions as a special teamer and offensive player for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also addressed fan criticism directed at his brother.
Connor Heyward, a sixth-round draft pick, spent four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, logging 1,169 special teams snaps across four units and recording 22 special teams tackles. His offensive role diminished over time, but the team utilized him in the Spartan formation for their version of the tush push in the previous season. In 2025, he achieved 11 rushing first downs and a career-high three total touchdowns. Despite these efforts, portions of the Steelers fan base questioned his roster spot, often citing his relation to older brother Cam Heyward, a longtime Steelers defensive lineman. This scrutiny intensified during Connor's contract hold-in last offseason. Cam Heyward pushed back against the negativity on his podcast, stating, “I’m very thankful that he gets to be recognized as who he is. He doesn’t have to walk in my shadow. He doesn’t have to walk in my dad’s shadow. I don’t think fans really appreciate what he did. He was a core special teamer, also made big plays on offense. And that adds a lot of value. And I think a lot of people overlooked that and didn’t understand his role and what he was capable of.” Heyward also warned critics, saying, “For all the people who will not get a chance to keep talking about him and who went out of their way to do some very inappropriate stuff, bring that shit onto me because I’ll handle it, and I’ll expose you if you wanna go down that route.” The Raiders plan to employ Connor in a fullback role to improve their run game.
