Cam Heyward, the six-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is expected to be out for a few weeks and will probably be placed on injured reserve after suffering a groin injury in Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Heyward, who is 34 years old, is an important member of the Steelers’ defensive line. He has kept a starting role since 2012 and made a name for himself as one of the NFL’s most consistent defensive players, recording an amazing 409 tackles and 76.5 sacks in his career.

The priority task for the Steelers at this time is to replace the void left by Heyward’s absence. Isaiahh Loudermilk and DeMarvin Leal stand out as the leading candidates to take over his position. The Steelers lost their season opener against the San Francisco 49ers by a disappointing 7-30 on Sunday 

Heyward’s injury severely hurts the Steelers’ chances of having a successful season. The issue is made more difficult by the loss of one of their top defensive players while starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is already out. Without Heyward in the lineup, it will surely be difficult to stay competitive in the AFC North.

American football defensive tackle Cameron Phillip Heyward is presently a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL). He was chosen by the Steelers in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, and he played college football for Ohio State. Heyward is the son of renowned NFL Pro Bowler Craig Heyward.

Following his time at Ohio State, Heyward attracted a lot of interest from scouts and experts, with the majority of them anticipating him to be selected in the first round. He was eventually selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, moving him up to the 31st overall pick and making him the seventh defensive end selected that year.