There are a lot of high-profile contract situations playing out across the NFL this summer.
But one that is flying under the radar is pretty important, too.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cameron Heyward are at an impasse. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the latest in a long post on X on Thursday.
Here’s what Schefter wrote:
“With little fanfare, Steelers four-time All-Pro defensive tackle Cameron Heyward hasn’t fully participated in practice yet this summer as he awaits a restructured contract that has not gotten done, per sources. Heyward is scheduled to make $14.75 million this season, with $13.45 million of that already having been earned as a roster bonus in March. Heyward is seeking a raise in a defensive market that has experienced a reset this off-season. Heyward and the Steelers have addressed this privately, but have not made any progress on any reworked deal, per sources.”
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Heyward is 36 years old now but is still a team leader and a great player on the interior of the Steelers’ defensive line.
He watched his teammate T.J. Watt get a huge payday this offseason, and now he seems to want one of his own.
The interesting note from Schefter’s post is that Heyward already got all but $1.3 million of his payment for this season via his roster bonus. That leaves him getting very little per game in the campaign ahead.
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Heyward made the Pro Bowl last season with 8.0 sacks and 71 combined tackles, a ridiculous year for a mid-30s DT.
He doesn’t seem like he’s slowing down, either, and so a contract might have to be forthcoming for the Steelers to really see just how good Heyward can continue to be.
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