SEPTEMBER 10: Heyward’s incentive package is split evenly into two parts, as detailed by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. $1.6MM will be earned if Heyward records eight or more sacks and the Steelers reach the playoffs. The remainder will be earned if he posts at least 11.5 sacks and Pittsburgh wins one or more playoff game.
Heyward has hit the eight-sack mark six times in his career, the most recent coming in 2024. He has reached 12 sacks only once in a season (2017), so maximizing these incentives would come as a surprise. Per Florio, Heyward’s scheduled 2026 roster bonus of $12.95MM will drop by $875K in the event he plays less than 30% of the Steelers’ defensive snaps this season; he has surpassed that workload every year since his rookie campaign.
SEPTEMBER 6: A last-minute resolution has emerged in the case of Cameron Heyward and the Steelers. The All-Pro defensive lineman has agreed to a restructure. 
Specifically, the Steelers and Heyward worked out a compromise through incentives covering the 2025 season. Additional potential earnings have been added for the coming campaign, as first reported by Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Incentives worth $3.2MM tied to playoff games and wins are now in place.
Heyward was originally owed $14.25MM in total for the 2025 campaign. As a result of today’s agreement, he can top out at $18MM this year. The 15th-year veteran made it known this summer he was seeking a raise in the wake of a strong showing last season, and he suggested a regular season holdout could take place in the absence of a deal. Yesterday’s comments on the matter implied Heyward would face the choice of missing Sunday’s contest or playing on his existing pact, but that will no longer be the case.
The Steelers have a policy against negotiating extensions during the season and have historically avoided redoing deals with more than one year remaining. Heyward is on the books through 2026 as a result of last year’s extension, something which led to the expectation no agreement would be reached. The team has nevertheless managed to work out a short-term compromise which could see his compensation move closer to the top of the defensive tackle market.
Negotiations on a new contract last offseason proved to be a lengthy process, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms Heyward was giving serious thought to sitting out tomorrow’s game without a restructure of some kind being worked out. The seven-time Pro Bowler is now assured to be in place against the Jets in Week 1. Another highly productive season would help a Steelers defense which faces increased expectations based on the team’s busy offseason.
Heyward was limited to 11 games and just two sacks in 2023. He rebounded last year, though, playing every game and notching eight sacks. Those figures helped lead to the fourth first-team All-Pro nod of his career and increased his leverage in seeking a short-term bump in compensation. Even if Heyward reaches his $18MM ceiling in earnings for 2025, that will fall short of what 16 other defensive tackles average per year based on their current contracts.
Of course, at the age of 36, Heyward was not in a position to approach the top of the position’s market on a restructure or an agreement adding new years to his pact. The path to a marginal raise is now in place, however, and attention for team and player will turn to the regular season.
Put up or shut up now ole boy!
thats too bad. would have liked to see Steelers stick to their guns
They did stick to their guns. They gave in like they do every time
You call that giving in? Are you confused by math, money or both?
Was it more money than he was previously getting? Then they gave in. The irony in your comment considering you’re confused of the math.
Meanwhile TJ Watt did his entire holdout without opening his mouth.
Almost exactly what I wrote in the comments section that they should do in the previous Cam Heyward post on here a day ago.
You sure did. Your comment made sense to some degree, but after I supported his request for a new contract last year, I couldn’t do it this year. I think the Steelers should have called his bluff. It’s not like he’ll give some of this years money back if he misses a lot of games, or sucks really bad. Very few people expected him to have the 2024 season that he did. This makes two years in a row the Steelers have made a risky move in regards to Cam.
I think both of you are right. The saving grace here is that Pittsburgh really didn’t give up much, and if they do pay Hayward more, it’ll be because he earned it on the field.
HE GOY ALMOST NOTHING IN A RAISE. OPTION 1 they have to make the playoffs to be able to get something back in incentives. Option 2 they aren’t going to make no playoff. And 3 why didn’t they put out the structure of the contract.
Soft. This dudes a jagoff.
Then don’t. I doubt Cam, the Steelers or anyone else cares what you think about what Cam Heyward has to say about his contract.
Personally, I think you and the rest of the commenters are overpaid and I’d like to see the lot of you get a 50% paycut. I know some of you don’t even work because you’re too lazy to do anything after a tough day doing nothing at school. The idea you get an allowance when you don’t do any chores literally makes me sick.
Why is it that people like you can’t make an effort in life? You don’t try hard enough but people still keep paying and coddling you. I don’t get it.
That’s what you sound when you go from disagreeing with giving a raise to a player to treating them like garbage for having the nerve to even ask.
He asked, he got virtually nothing (except a bonus he won’t get unless he has another great season balanced by a reduction next year if he has a bad year) and now he’s playing. He didn’t sit out, miss any time or fake an injury. He asked for a raise. BFD. What’s sad is that most of the people here don’t have the courage to ask for a raise.
The fact that the Steelers have a policy about not negotiating does not make it wrong to ask for a raise.