In a recent appearance on Steelers long snapper Christian Kuntz’s podcast,<\/a> Heidenreich revealed that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wanted to sign him as an undrafted free agent, which would have given him the chance to work with former Pittsburgh special teams coach Danny Smith and running back Kenneth Gainwell.<\/a> <\/p>\n “My agent was talking to Tampa Bay, and I agreed that I would sign with them in preferred free agency,” he shared. “So, I was kind of set there and now I was sitting and all of a sudden, I got that phone call, and I pick up and it was Omar (Khan).” <\/p>\n Heidenreich Hoping for Big Role as Rookie<\/p>\n Even as a seventh-round pick, Heidenreich is hoping he can quickly make a name for himself. The Steelers are setting him up with opportunities<\/a> on both the offensive side of the ball and on special teams. <\/p>\n Special teams <\/a>is a surefire way to carve out a role and earn the coaching staff’s trust. Especially as a first-year player, he’ll need to take the traits that made him so important to the Navy offense and bring those to the kick and punt teams. His speed and agility will make him quite the asset for the kickoff and kick return units, and it would set him up for an even larger role as the season goes on. <\/p>\n Jan 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) runs against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n Kenny G Would Have Been a Great Role Model for Heidenreich<\/p>\n The Buccaneers didn’t land the player they targeted, much to the Steelers’ happiness, but it’s easy to see how Heidenreich would have fit in Tampa Bay. <\/p>\n Former Steelers special teams coach Danny Smith is a missed presence in Pittsburgh, and it’s because of the intensity he brings. That intensity would have gotten a ton out of Heidenreich and guided him through his rookie season. <\/p>\n Heidenreich would also benefit from watching Gainwell work. During his lone season with the Steelers, Kenny G was the ultimate dual-threat. He was the team’s second-leading receiver and posted nearly 1,000 all-purpose yards in a mediocre Pittsburgh offense. The Steelers likely see a lot of Kenny G in the rookie Heidenreich, and he would be in the ultimate teacher-student dynamic learning behind Gainwell. <\/p>\n![\"Pittsburgh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kwhktw78094wt2nwpv.jpg\" "\\"Pittsburgh")
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