Questions about Cameron Heyward‘s 2025 status loomed last year, when the standout defensive lineman had come off a season in which an injury provided significant limitations. The Steelers, however, extended their top piece up front to seemingly put an end to contract speculation.
A year later, however, Heyward is not happy with his deal. The Steelers tacked on a two-year, $29MM extension to the likely Hall of Famer’s through-2024 contract; as a result, he is signed through the 2026 season. Heyward bounced back in 2024, earning his fourth first-team All-Pro honor. The resurgent interior pass rusher is now seeking a contract update, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter and Brooke Pryor report.
This situation has morphed into a hold-in, as Pryor indicated Heyward did not suit up for practice Thursday. The 15th-year Steelers defender has mostly done work off to the side during camp, per ESPN. First-round pick Derrick Harmon has benefited in terms of team reps. Harmon is in place as a presumptive Heyward successor up front, but for the time being, the two will be expected to work together to help a Steelers defense perennially in the NFL’s upper echelon.
The parties have discussed this matter privately, per ESPN, but no progress has emerged. This would explain the matter becoming public, as the Steelers — after months of another T.J. Watt extension saga — have another cornerstone player to deal with on the contract front. Heyward, who rebounded from two groin surgeries after missing six 2023 games to post an eight-sack 2024, has been a high-end Watt sidekick in one of the sack era’s best inside-outside tandems. Heyward was open to exploring a post-Pittsburgh path last year, but his extension quieted that talk. Now, he will force the issue once again.
Heyward is going into his age-36 season, making it somewhat understandable — given his importance to the Steelers and the form he showed last season — he would be back at the table already. Though, the Steelers have rigid contract principles. They do not negotiate in-season, and they have traditionally refused to rip up deals before players’ contract years. Antonio Brown‘s past is worth recalling here.
The superstar wideout had outplayed his contract, soaring to back-to-back first-team All-Pro placements in 2014 and ’15. But two years remained on Brown’s deal in 2016. The Steelers did not budge, rather (as the Pat McAfee Show‘s Mark Kaboly reminds) moved $4MM from the mercurial wideout’s 2017 money into 2016 to placate him without setting a new contract precedent. The Steelers then extended Brown on a top-market deal early in the 2017 offseason. Brown, though, was only 28 when he landed a lucrative third contract. Heyward is much closer to the end of his career, and a 2025 decline would stand to weaken his negotiating position ahead of the 2026 offseason.
Heyward’s $14.5MM-per-year number represents a rare discount, as he was tied to a $16.4MM-AAV deal prior to that 2024 redo. Heyward’s current AAV figure sits 22nd among interior D-linemen. Far less accomplished players like Milton Williams and Zach Allen scored deals averaging more than $25MM per year, though they are obviously much younger and in better position to command that kind of money. But the offseason also saw the likes of Osa Odighizuwa reach $20MM per year and one-year Chiefs starter Tershawn Wharton top Heyward (at $15MM per).
Pittburgh’s longest-tenured player, who became the first 35-year-old D-lineman to be named first-team All-Pro since sack kingpin Bruce Smith in 1998, will attempt to use his absence to force at least a Brown-like update due to his value to the team ahead of what is expected to be an Aaron Rodgers one-and-done.
Heyward is not the only Steeler eyeing an updated contract. Chris Boswell is angling for new terms as well, according to Schefter and Pryor. One of the NFL’s best kickers, Boswell has dropped to the league’s 11th-highest-paid player at the position. Boswell is tied to a four-year, $20MM deal. The gap between Boswell and the highest-paid kickers is not nearly as wide as the Heyward gulf, but a number of specialists have passed him since that $5MM-per-year pact matched Justin Tucker atop the market in August 2022.
Like Heyward, however, Boswell is signed for two more seasons. If the Steelers do not break stride for one of the best defenders in team history, they certainly would pause with their kicker. Boswell, 34, is the team’s second-longest-tenured player. But he will likely need to wait in line here, as a true extension is unrealistic until 2026.
Tell Heyward to pound sand. Dude is 35 and just renegotiated his contract LAST YEAR.
Yeah this is setting a bad example. I guess watt and everyone else will want new deals next season, heck maybe Ramsey will want one by the end of camp
I don’t have any confidence in the Steelers this year. I think both Tomlin & Rodgers will be gone next season which is why extending the GM was weird. The talent is overrated.
Well it’s kind of obvious that Rodgers will be gone. But you silly if you think Tomlin will be gone
What’s the point to keep him? Another non-winning playoff season in 2026? Sometimes change is good for everyone.
They win enough games to sell a bunch of tickets. That’s probably why Tomlin sticks around.
I upvoted you, but I can see a scenario where Rodgers is a two year player if he plays well. If there’s not a QB worth a long term investment and the offense performs well, Pittsburgh could see one more year of Rodgers under center. If Rodgers is injured again or cannot play to expectations, it should be a pretty easy divorce.
I dunno Arty!, but I’m more pumped for this season than I have been in years. Maybe it’s because we have really bad teams in all sports and it’s more hope than anything else. But I believe Rodgers gives them more from the QB position than they’ve had in years, even at 41 going in 42
But can he stay healthy? Can the O-line protect him? Big questions
As for Cam, I have to laugh at the hypocrisy.
He was all over Rodgers for taking so long—-“Either you want to be a Steeler or you don’t — and he pulls this act
What a great “team” guy
I was all for a two-year extension for Heyward this time last year. Lots of folks in this sight’s comment section were not. He’d earned another deal, if nothing else, due to his past performances. Griping about money in this extension, this early, doesn’t set well with me. Not that he cares what I think, but I
won’t be taking his side as quickly this go around.
Not a fan of Heyward wanting to rework a deal so soon… but he doesn’t have a lot of time left either. Hey, what’s the worst they can say, no? It can all end on the next play, ask Rashawn Slater.
As for Boswell… “pay dat man his money”. He’s been the team MVP for at least 2 seasons running now. And he’s also my mom’s favorite player.
Heyward is the weirdest case you can think of. Everything tells you that there’s no way that he’ll be worth the money, and then he ends up not only being your best lineman, but one of the best in the league. Again. At age 34.
If you’re Pittsburgh, you sort of have to give him the benefit of the doubt at this point…even if you have the sneaking suspicion that you’ll finally bite the bullet this time around. But that’s the downside of one year deals…at this point, it’s too late to find a replacement.
The defense looked hopeless without Heyward the last couple of years. But here’s the thing… that might not be the case anymore. Early reports on Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black are really good. The overall d-line depth seems to be much better. DK Metcalf actually said the other day that this is the best defense he’s seen…
Does any of this mean anything in early August? No. Is Heyward worth a raise in a vacuum? Probably yes. But I’m not certain that the Steeler defense would once again look like the Keystone Kops if they decided to call Cam’s bluff, either.
We’ll see, it could happen that Heyward ends up being expendable this time. The other part of this is that this seemingly came out of nowhere, for us outsiders at least.
I go back to the Steel Curtain days and the last great defense here was when Troy was back there. I can’t remember the Steelers ever being torched by opposing running backs as they have been the past couple years
Yeah, Cam has been their only real D-lineman and he’s been in on a great deal of tackles and pressures, but to me at least, he’s not stirring the echoes of guys like Mean Joe or even Fats Holmes or Casey Hampton.
Good player who’s earned something like $130m in his career. We keep hearing the Steelers are all-in this year and yeah, with the additions of Ramsey, Slay and the rookie D-linemen, and a solid LB core, you hope they’ll be upper echelon variety. But this hissy fit is outrageous. And poorly timed
Heyward signed a two-year extension this time last year. He’s signed through 2026. If his play exceeds expectations in 2025, then give him a pay bump for 2026. In my opinion, it’s too early to be asking for more money now.
I agree.
the agents think that the whining is a good play because the squeaky wheel gets the grease, but the player just ends up coming across as a crybaby
Let’s be honest though.. the players mostly could care less how they come across. It’s the only leverage they have without fully guaranteed contracts, so they use it. But your point about agents pushing these agendas is a good one.
Cam doing this again is disrespectful. The team didnt have to renegotiate last year but caved and here he is again trying to cash in. I wouldn’t pay him a penny more.
Future HOF DT no doubt, great player and a good guy in this city but he is under contract that he knowingly signed and whined for last year. Get rekt.
If the Steelers moved money up for AB, they should do the same for Heyward. Move some 2026 money into this year. And no matter how well he plays, or not, let 2026 be his final year. Period. Lots of draft picks next year so they can continue to replenish the DL.
Sick of players whining about out-playing their multi-year contracts. If you’re that concerned, sign nothing but 1-year contracts!!!
Interesting piece in Steelers Depot by Dave Bryan which argues that Heyward’s “extension” last season was rather more of a restructuring and reworking of the original deal. As such, Heyward maybe doesn’t see this as asking for a “new” contract. Dave Bryan isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but he really knows his stuff when it comes to contract language and NFL money matters. Didn’t change my opinion on Heyward’s situation in but gave me a fresher perspective.
Prior to last years 2 year extension, he was set to be a free agent and end of last season, if I remember correctly.
He then was signed for 2 more years. Hard for me to envision that as “reworked”. Also, he’s not asking for a new contract, he just wants more money added to the contract he signed last year. At least that’s what I surmise from the headline here.
Boswell?? yeah right..
Gee, did you watch the game yesterday?