Cam Heyward still hasn’t agreed on his new contract terms and has hinted at sitting out Week 1 when the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Jets in New York. He’s been seeking a proper pay raise all offseason long and has even sat out for large portions of training camp to prove his point. But that hasn’t also stopped him from staying prepared for work.
In his latest YouTube video, Heyward previewed the Steelers’ Week 1 clash against the Jets. What caught everyone’s attention was just how much he praised his opponents for their run game.
While discussing Breece Hall’s 13-yard touchdown from last season, the defensive lineman also weighed in on the Jets’ new quarterback, Justin Fields, a dual-threat who seems to have found his mojo again.
“The run game is definitely going to be a key to stop this team. Breece Hall, Justin Fields, they do it in different ways, but [they] are very successful when they get going. Breece Hall, home run back. He even took a checkdown for a touchdown last year,” Heyward said on Not Just Football.
It’s a great analysis coming from the 14-year veteran, but it also felt like he was hinting that the Steelers are going to need him if they want to win, as he raved about Hall and his ability to take any touch to the house.
Heyward then went on to talk about how Fields can wear down defensive backs with his scrambling, while also emphasizing that the Steelers need to contain every run and that letting the Jets get north and south would be foolish.
He even talked a little bit about the Jets’ defense.
“On the defensive side of the ball, Quinnen Williams, he’s healthy. Sauce Gardner. We gotta get going with our offense. Run and pass. Jaylen Warren’s gotta be successful. Kaleb Johnson. Really interested to see how we use Kenneth Gainwell this week,” Heyward said.
Warren just received a 2-year extension from the Steelers to keep him with the team through 2027. He should be a focal point of the running game on Sunday, but the team also went out and drafted Kaleb Johnson out of Iowa, who ran for over 1,500 yards and 21 TDs last season. Gainwell is coming over from the Philadelphia Eagles, where he just won a Super Bowl.
Later on in the show, Heyward talked about how newer guys are going to have to prove their mettle against the Jets.
“We have some newer guys that get to finally show what they’re about. Aaron [Rodgers], DK [Metcalf], Jonnu [Smith]… I think it’s a good crew that’s just chomping at the bit to see what we’re about,” Heyward shared.
NFL fans are also curious to see what comes of Aaron Rodgers with the Steelers. His offseason drama has dominated the media ever since the Super Bowl ended. Some even thought he might retire, but he’s returning for a 21st season in what feels like one last ride.
Something not many fans consider about Week 1 is that no teams have any information on each other. It’s a clean slate, and you don’t know what opponents are going to do. That’s why Heyward concluded by sharing insight into how the Steelers are preparing for the Jets.
“You gotta watch everything. Watch where these players came from, watch what they did last year. Watch it in preseason, watch what they did 3 years ago, watch what Aaron Glenn is accustomed to. There’s just a multitude of things you gotta make sure you’re ready for.”
All in all, it was a solid analysis that Heyward kept professional to tee. He completely avoided talking about himself and his contract situation. Then, later on, he even shot down the Rodgers revenge game narrative, noting that there are other players on the team who were on the Jets last year.
But at the end of the day, nobody cares about those other players. The NFL scheduled this game for Week 1 for a reason, and that reason is that Fields and Rodgers were playing for the opposite teams this time last year. So, as much as Heyward wants to deny that narrative, it’s very much a real storyline.
The post Amid Reports of Cam Heyward Missing Week 1 for a New Contract, the DL Raves About the Jets’ Run Game appeared first on The SportsRush.
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