Losing Connor Heyward, the heart and soul of the Pittsburgh Plunge, AKA the Steelers' tush push, was a tough pill to swallow this offseason. Still, we wanted to analyze how the former Pittsburgh Steeler did in his Las Vegas Raiders debut.
Here's a look at how Heyward performed in the Raiders' season opener, including his snap count, and what fans can expect from him moving forward.
Connor Heyward's Week 1 performance
Heyward earned a respectable 61.5 PFF grade in his Raiders debut last Sunday. Lining up primarily at fullback, Heyward played a solid role in establishing the Raiders' run game in Week 1. Heyward saw 32 snaps on offense, which is over a third of the snaps he saw with the Steelers in 2025. He also played a few special teams snaps.
What to expect from Connor Heyward moving forward
Given his Week 1 usage, it's clear he's
going to play a big part in Las Vegas' offense moving forward, tasked with paving the way for standout running backs Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr. Heyward was also underrated as a receiver in Pittsburgh, but it remains to be seen if Las Vegas will utilize him as a pass catcher.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: How did former Steelers TE/FB Connor Heyward perform in first Raiders game?
