Report: Steelers’ Cam Heyward to undergo surgery, expected to miss up to 8 weeks

5:08 p.m ET update: Steelers DT Cam Heyward will undergo surgery to repair his injured groin on Wednesday, expected to be out up to eight weeks in recovery, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Gerry Dulac reports.

When it rains, it pours. NFL insider Mike Garafolo reported today that Steelers’ defensive lineman Cam Heyward is expected to miss “multiple weeks” after injuring his groin during Pittsburgh’s 30-7 loss to the 49ers on Sunday.

This is a crushing blow to the Steelers, as Heyward has long been one of the defense’s best players and a respected leader. If he does end up on injured reserve, Heyward will have to miss at least four games, per NFL rules.

Garafolo noted that “all options are on the table,” including a possible surgery.

The Steelers will be facing the Browns and Raiders in their next two games, who boast two of the league’s top running backs in Nick Chubb and Josh Jacobs, respectively. Without Cam Heyward, the interior of the Steeler defensive line will certainly have their hands full this season. With Heyward’s absence, NT Breiden Fehoko will likely be promoted from the Steelers’ practice squad, but there’s also a chance that the Steelers’ aggressive GM, Omar Khan, looks to outside options instead.

Heyward, 34, is a 3x All-Pro. He entered the 2023 season with 78.5 career sacks, second only to James Harrison and TJ Watt in Steeler history.