Steelers' Cam Heyward gives an injury update post groin surgery

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without Cam Heyward for the foreseeable future after a groin injury landed him on the injured reserve. Not only the heart and soul of the team, Heyward is also one of the best-run defenders in the league, something the Steelers are desperately missing. But according to Heyward himself, Steelers fans […]

Rob Gregson — NFL News Writer

Sep 21, 2023 9:55 AM EDT

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without Cam Heyward for the foreseeable future after a groin injury landed him on the injured reserve.

Not only the heart and soul of the team, Heyward is also one of the best-run defenders in the league, something the Steelers are desperately missing.

But according to Heyward himself, Steelers fans should expect him back sooner than his given timetable:

"I'm Not A Regular Person"

“There’s timetables out there but I’m not a regular person," said Cam Heyward on a recent episode of his podcast, Not Just Football With Cam Heyward. "Every injury I’ve been part of, I’ve been cleared earlier. It’s not going to stop me from working. Timetables are for other people. I make my own."

Maybe that comes off as cocky, arrogant, or braggadocious, but the reality is, Heyward is right. NFL athletes especially those with his genetic makeup (family of NFL players) are not regular people when it comes to athleticism, body types, and yes even recovery.

Now, Heyward did just turn 34, meaning his bounce-back ability probably isn't at its peak, but he's still young in the real world, and has proved durable for most of his career.

“Physically, I’m upright, I’m walking around,” Heyward said. “Taking it one step at a time. I can’t rush the process. I need to make sure I do everything possible to push this thing forward. I’ve got family members who think I should be taking my sweet ass time. I’ve got work to do. Hitting the rehab and just trying to get after it is what I’m doing.”

And while everyone wants Heyward back in a uniform as quickly as possible, something tells me he probably should be "taking his sweet a** time." The last thing anyone wants is a rush back to service that ends up making him miss even longer.

But even a week or two trimmed off the initial 8-week timetable would be appreciated, and I'm never going to doubt Cam Heyward.