The Pittsburgh Steelers have had an incredibly busy 2023 offseason. General Manager, Omar Khan seemed to have been making moves nearly every day and that has continued as the preseason has concluded. Cutdown day has seen a plethora of activity and while most of the releases were expected, one of the more surprising cuts was tight end, Zach Gentry. After signing a one-year deal in April, it was believed that he would return to the offensive fold in 2023 until the front office drafted rookie tight end, Darnell Washington. The first-year player has progressed quickly and that contributed to the team moving on from Gentry.
Washington will now have more responsibilities in the offensive game plan, but he should still be primarily used in the running game as he is a ferocious blocker. He showed signs in the preseason of being capable of working as a receiver, but with Pat Freiermuth far ahead of him in that category, his top job will be opening holes for Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.
The Steelers releasing Gentry certainly means something for Washington, but there's another guy who should be complimented when it came to the team's final decision. Second-year hybrid player, Connor Heyward was a sixth-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. He worked his way onto the roster and proved that he belonged on an NFL field.
Pittsburgh could end up lining him up all over the place. He could play fullback, tight end, and even saw some action at running back during the team's three preseason matchups. The decision to move on from Gentry was in part due to the emergence of Washington, but also because the Steelers trust another tight end to be efficient in both the running and passing games.
Heyward appeared in all 17 games in his rookie season with most of his action coming on special teams. He is expected to remain a contributor in that phase of the game, but could all very well be on his way to earning a role as a situational offensive weapon. He had 12 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown in 2022. That 11.2 yards per reception was good for second on the team, only behind George Pickens.
He worked well over the middle of the field and had some key plays including a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons. He also caught two passes for 49 yards in a big win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He slowly earned trust over the course of the year and while he had a small sample size on offense, the Steelers felt comfortable enough with his skillset combined with Washington's.
The Steelers Could Be Preparing Heyward For a Kyle Juszczyk-Like Role In The Offense
Heyward is going to do it all for Pittsburgh in 2023. He is no Kyle Juszczyk from the San Francisco 49ers just yet, but it appears as if the coaching staff may be carving out that type of role for him. Juszczyk can be used all over the field and has slowly seen his special teams role decrease since being involved in the offense. Regardless, he still logged over 20% of special teams snaps in 2023. Heyward could very well be on that same path.
Gentry will be missed in the Steel City. His episodes of Grillin' N' Chillin' were consistently funny and he also made his mark on the offense, primarily in the running game. He will be picked up quickly by a team looking for a veteran to join the tight end room. His departure certainly changes the role of Washington, but also sends a strong message to Heyward that he is heavily valued and will be a part of the game plan going forward on offense.
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