Omar Khan Must Disrupt Steelers Way With Cam Heyward
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
With recent massive jumps in technology over the past few decades, the term “disruptor” has been a buzzword in many industries. Shareholders, employees, and consumers will no longer tolerate things being done in an inefficient way simply because “it’s how they’ve always been done.” Yet conversely, people enjoy stability in their lives.
The Steelers have been the example of stability in professional sports. They have won six Super Bowls with only three different coaches over a span of nearly 60 years. It has been the battle cry of the die-hard Steelers fan, although the tides have slowly begun to change.
Fans, local media members, and former players have all voiced their displeasure with the lack of playoff success over the last seven years. Many hoped (and some believed), that Kevin Colbert’s last first-round pick Kenny Pickett would provide a much-needed spark for the offense. But after only two years, Omar Khan had enough and cut the “local kid” experiment short.
That’s not the only example of Khan shaking things up in Pittsburgh. He moved to acquire seasoned vet Russell Wilson and wasted no time bringing Justin Fields in to fill the void Pickett left behind. He brought in a dynamic linebacker in Patrick Queen and hasn’t been shy about making moves that he believes will help restore the Steelers to their former glory sooner rather than later. Hell, he fired Matt Canada mid-season. The last time that happened, the coordinator fired himself. Now many are hopeful the Khan Artist will make an unprecedented move by signing a high-level wide receiver to a major contract.
While that may be a pipe dream, Khan must continue to disrupt the “Steeler Way” differently. He must do this by extending Cameron Heyward.
The Steelers’ history of forcing out great players and coaches is ugly. In the past decade, the Pittsburgh front office has broken up with both Troy Polamalu and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau using the age-old tactic of “it isn’t us, it’s you.” LeBeau went on to coach in Tennessee with considerable success, while Polamalu begrudgingly hung up his helmet and gained some distance from the organization he gave his all to. As a result, the Steelers were forced to trade away their first-round pick to find his replacement. Some argue that in the 10 years since his unceremonious departure, the Steelers still haven’t found a coordinator worthy of filling LeBeau’s shoes
Now it’s Heyward’s turn and the outlook is decidedly bleak. Insiders believe the chance of an extension is low and there will likely be only one jersey with “Heyward” written in gold letters across the shoulders next season. This would be a mistake.
The Steelers are young, primarily on offense, but across the board. They have struggled to find their identity and have been streaky at best over the past three seasons. Ben Roethlisberger was never heralded as a great leader, even as he matured. Just look at the antics that took place during his final seasons, or the fact that he was never voted team MVP. Players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca picked up the leadership slack for Big Ben, and the team had success during those years.
Now in 2024, the offense has even more new faces and they will likely take time to gel. While it’s reasonable to expect Wilson to take the initiative as a leader on offense, few truly understand the meaning of “the standard is the standard.” In turn, Pittsburgh will have to look to the defensive veterans for example.
Heyward is a leadership presence on the team, not just the defense. Even while sidelined with injury, Cam is a constant voice and example for players to follow on and off the field. When the reigning Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner is healthy, he has proven he is capable of Pro Bowl-caliber football. In short, he can help the Steelers win now. From a future perspective, who better to help Keanu Benton continue to develop as a force in the middle?
Business is business. Whether between friends or family, hard decisions must be made for the betterment of the organization. In this case, however, it must not be business as usual in Pittsburgh, and Cam Heyward must finish his career on his terms. It might mean breaking with the Steelers Way, but keeping Heyward wearing the black and gold is the right and best decision for the franchise.
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