Cam Heyward returns to Steelers practice, still on reserve/injured list
PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) -- Cam Heyward was back at practice on Thursday after he suffered a groin injury in Week 1.
The Steelers said he returned to practice but is still on the reserve/injured list. The team has a 21-day window to activate him to the 53-man roster, or he'll remain on the reserve/injured list the rest of the year.
Heyward, the team's longtime defensive captain, has vowed to return this season but hasn't said when. When he was injured, he was expected to miss eight weeks.
He said earlier this month that he's "working his tail off" to recover from surgery to repair a groin injury he sustained early in a Week 1 loss to San Francisco. Thirty-four-year-old Heyward, in his 13th season, left in the first half with a groin injury.
The Steelers said Heyward has played in 184 career games, starting 149 of them, and hasn't missed significant playing time since 2016.
Heyward has praised the play of rookie defensive tackle Keeanu Benton, who has been brought along quickly to help fill in.
"He's getting more of a feel for the game," Heyward said earlier this month. "The mistakes he was making in the preseason, those have been eradicated. I think he feels a lot more comfortable."
While Heyward has been off the field, he's been active in the community, kicking off his second annual Cam's Kindness Week at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh on Monday. Through the Cam Heyward Foundation, the veteran defensive tackle is tackling a list of kind acts each day this week.
The Steelers (4-2) face off against the Jaguars (5-2) on Sunday.
