Steelers’ Cam Heyward Dealing With Apparent Injury Before Week 12 Game Vs. Bears

Pittsburgh Steelers fans waiting for news on Aaron Rodgers discovered an alarming development on the defensive side.

Cam Heyward was spotted in a walking boot on Friday, according to Nick Farabaugh of The Patriots-News. The ominous news raises some uncertainty about his status for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears, but Farabaugh said Heyward is still expected to play.

A source described the walking boot as the Steelers “being smart.”

Heyward missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but the Steelers listed both days as veteran’s rest. The 36-year-old has often sat out practice earlier in the week without risking missing time.

The four-time All-Pro hasn’t missed any action since sitting out six games with a groin injury early in 2023. Heyward has 41 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble in 10 games this season, playing 69 percent of the defense’s snaps.

Losing Heyward would be a significant blow to a Steelers defense ranked 13th against the run. The Bears rank second to the Buffalo Bills with 146.6 rushing yards per game under first-year head coach Ben Johnson.

Stopping D’Andre Swift will be a much tougher task without Heyward, and the Steelers have surrendered an NFL-high 261.7 passing yards per game this season.

The Steelers enter Sunday one game ahead of the Baltimore Ravens in an increasingly tight AFC North race. They’ll look to snap Chicago’s three-game winning streak as narrow road underdogs, but it’s uncertain whether Rodgers and Heyward will suit up for the Week 12 clash.

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