The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without their longest-tenured player and a defensive captain for at least four weeks, but likely longer, after the team placed defensive lineman Cam Heyward on injured reserve Thursday.
Heyward underwent surgery earlier in the day for a groin injury sustained during the Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Heyward, 34, sustained the injury in the first half, and although he tried to go back in the game, he was ruled out by halftime.
Heyward, a first-round draft pick by the Steelers in 2011, recorded at least 10 sacks each of the past two seasons, and he’s been a captain since 2015. His injury and placement on IR marks the second year in a row that the Steelers had a costly loss in Week 1; T.J. Watt tore his pectoral muscle against the Cincinnati Bengals and missed seven games in 2022.