One year remains on Cameron Heyward‘s contract, something which has led to speculation about his Steelers future. The three-time All-Pro wants a two-year extension to finish his career in Pittsburgh, but no agreement on that front is imminent.

When speaking to the media, general manager Oman Khan noted that no deals are close with respect to retaining any in-house players. The list of candidates for a new contract obviously includes Heyward, whose scheduled $16MM base salary is not guaranteed. The 35-year-old is set to carry a cap hit of over $22MM, and an extension could lower that amount. Team and player have not made progress in negotiations, but Khan remains confident a departure will not take place.

“Last year you know, we had a rough stretch there but I’m confident the way he works and you know Cam the the person the player obviously and I have no doubt that Cam has a lot of football,” Khan said (via the team’s website). “I think Cam has a lot of football left in him, and I expect him to be here for years to come.”

Heyward has made it clear at multiple points this offseason his preference would be to remain the Steelers, the only organization he has played for during his 13-year career. He has also publicly acknowledged his willingness to sign with a new team in 2025, however, and that possibility will remain if no deal can be worked out prior to the start of the campaign. The six-time Pro Bowler’s latest comments confirm the stance he has taken in recent months.

“Am I confident?” Heyward said (via Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). “I don’t like to go either way with that because you get your hopes up and something doesn’t happen. I’m just going to focus on being the best player I can be. This team needs my leadership and production and I look forward to doing it.”

Heyward was limited to 11 games and only a pair of sacks last year as he dealt with a groin injury. Offseason surgery has led to renewed expectations for the 2024 campaign, but much of his value will depend on his ability to return to his previous form. Pittsburgh has made draft investments along the defensive interior in recent years, though Heyward should still handle a heavy workload this season. Questions linger regarding his future, but he is currently focused on at least one more training camp in Pittsburgh.

“I’m not going to get my hopes up either way,” Heyward added. “I’m not going to put stock in that. I’ll focus on the things I can control. I can be productive. I can be healthy. If they believe in me, if I can play more, so be it. If they don’t, I’ll go somewhere else.”

Since initially contemplating retirement following an injury-riddled 2023 season, Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward has made it clear that he’s looking for a two-year extension to continue playing in Pittsburgh. In an appearance today on The Jim Rome Show, Heyward didn’t have much to say regarding an update to the situation, indicating that a new contract doesn’t appear to be imminent.

Heyward, 35, has spent all 13 of his NFL seasons with the Steelers, somehow getting better with age. Before reaching the fifth-year option of his first-round rookie contact, the Steelers extended Heyward to a six-year, $59.25MM deal. Up to that point, Heyward had showed plus attributes as a pass rusher with a career-high of 7.5 sacks in a season. After missing the team’s final 10 games of the first year of his new contract in 2016, Heyward delivered a career year with 12.0 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, and 22 quarterback hits the following season.

Since then, Heyward has perennially been considered one of the top interior pass rushers in the NFL, missing a Pro Bowl last year for the first time since that breakout season. In addition to a down year, Heyward missed more than two games with injury for the first time since 2016, sitting out six contests near the beginning of the year. That groin injury was part of Heyward’s consideration to hang up his cleats, but the Steelers are expecting Heyward to rebound strongly in 2024.

Since expressing his desires for a new contract, Heyward sat out of all spring activities for Pittsburgh. A month ago, he put forth the idea that he’d like to retire with the Steelers sometime after a new two-year deal. A week later, Heyward reeled in the line a bit, claiming that, should Pittsburgh pass up another contract, he’d be open to playing in a new city in 2025, after his current deal expires.

The only big piece of new information in today’s interview was that Heyward has already ruled out at least one destination should he hit the free agent market. Despite having attended college in Ohio with the Buckeyes and having family in the Cleveland area, Heyward doesn’t see himself in brown and orange. He claimed that he didn’t think he could play for a Steelers’ rival with “such bad blood” should he move on. That would likely rule out the Ravens and Bengals, as well, but for now, his focus remains in Pittsburgh.

It has become clear this offseason that Cameron Heyward is seeking a new deal from the Steelers. If an extension agreement is not reached, he could enter the 2025 offseason as a free agent.

Heyward is due a $16MM base salary this season, the final year of his $65.5MM 2020 contract. The reigning Walter Payton Man of the Year winner has spent his entire 13-year career in Pittsburgh, and he hopes to remain with the Steelers for years to come. No hometown discount should be expected, though, which leaves open the possibility of an agreement not being reached in time for the start of the season.

In that case, the 35-year-old would play out the 2024 campaign as a walk year. His latest comments on his future confirm he is immediately focused on the coming season, one which will be critical in establishing his value. Heyward saw his production drop in an injury-shortened 2023 slate, and multiple core muscle surgeries have taken place aimed at providing the opportunity for a rebound. A strong showing this year would help boost Heyward’s stock on a new Steelers accord or one sending him elsewhere.

“I have talked to my wife, and we know the reality, and we have had those talks, and she said it could be fun to play somewhere else,” the three-time All-Pro said, via The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly (subscription required). “If that is what is needed to be done, then so be it. But I am still enjoying the ride here this year.”

Heyward is seeking a two-year extension, something which would greatly strengthen his chances of playing out his full NFL tenure as a Steeler. That could, of course, still wind up being the case. His comment certainly points to an openness to exploring the market, though, meaning the progress of negotiations during the summer will be an interesting storyline to follow.

Pittsburgh has a mix of veterans (Larry Ogunjobi, Montravius Adams, Dean Lowry) and recent draft additions (DeMarvin Leal, Keeanu Benton, Logan Lee) along the defensive interior. Heyward will have a large role to play once again in 2024 as the leader of that group, but whether or not that will double as his final Pittsburgh campaign remains to be seen.

Cameron Heyward has made it known he wants another Steelers extension, and the team typically completes deals with its re-up candidates before Week 1. As of now, the standout defensive lineman remains tied to the four-year, $65.6MM contract he signed back in 2020.

The Steelers have Heyward tied to a $16MM base salary and $22.4MM cap number this year, with the deal expiring after the 2024 season. Coming off an injury-plagued season, Heyward has still been one of the best defensive linemen in Steelers history. He ripped off a run of six Pro Bowls and four All-Pro nods (three as a first-teamer) from 2017-22 and does not look to be planning a near-future retirement.

Heyward is believed to be targeting a two-year deal ahead of his age-35 season, according to The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly (subscription required). This comes after a Heyward comment in January that did not guarantee he would even return for the 2024 season. The 2011 first-round pick signing a fourth Steelers contract would drop his 2024 cap number, but no agreement appears imminent.

Heyward did, however, return to OTAs this week after missing some time due to this contract situation. And he has no designs on testing free agency in 2025.

“There has been communication but nothing really to report on right now,” Heyward said of contract talks. “There are certain guys who are one-helmet guys. I want to be one of these one-helmet guys. There is a hunger and desire there, but that doesn’t mean hanging it up and calling it a career. I have more bullets to fire.”

Teaming with T.J. Watt to form one of the NFL’s best inside-outside pass-rushing duos in the modern era, Heyward said (via Kaboly) he is aiming to play through at least 2026. That would explain the two-year extension pursuit. It is not known what the Steelers have offered, if anything, at this point, but Heyward is coming off a down season.

The longtime interior D-lineman missed six games and underwent two surgeries — both groin procedures, the second of which coming just after the season — in a five-month span. Heyward finished last season with just two sacks and six tackles for loss, numbers out of step with the upper-echelon work he displayed in recent years. It would make sense if the Steelers were hesitant about authorizing another extension, seeing as Heyward’s production dipped during his injury-shortened season. Heyward is also the NFL’s oldest active D-lineman, though he is just two months older than the Saints’ Cameron Jordan.

The latter 2011 first-round draftee’s two-year, $26.5MM extension could be a roadmap for the Steelers, even if the two Cams do not function in the same role despite both technically labeled defensive ends. The Steelers’ 3-4 scheme features extensive inside-rushing work from Heyward, whereas Jordan has operated as an edge rusher throughout his career. Both Heyward and Jordan made the Pro Bowl each year from 2017-22.

The D-tackle market, after a 2023 boom that created a second tier and then this offseason’s Chris Jones and Christian Wilkins pacts, has changed dramatically since the Steelers extended Heyward in 2020. The impact defender — attached to a $16.4MM-per-year number — has dropped to 20th at his position in terms of AAV.

“I am looking to be here,” Heyward said. “The value is what we decide, but I think, for me, I want to be valued at my position. I understand I came off a rough season, but I don’t think it is a step down of where I can play. I think when I’m at the top of my game, I’m still a top-five player at my position. I play the run and the pass and I bring leadership, and it’s not anything I discount.”

Unless a new deal comes together quickly, Kaboly adds Heyward is not certain to participate in Pittsburgh’s minicamp. The veteran will attend, however. He staged a hold-in back in 2020, as a new CBA with language designed to curb holdouts was ratified, before signing his four-year extension.

The Steelers have both Watt and Alex Highsmith signed to big-ticket deals, and Minkah Fitzpatrick remains tied to a top-three safety accord. The team gave Patrick Queen a three-year, $41MM contract in March. The team is saving considerable money at quarterback due to its Russell Wilson–Justin Fields setup. With Diontae Johnson off the roster, no eight-figure-per-year contract is present on the offensive side of the ball for the Steelers.

This setup opens the door for defensive spending, but the Steelers’ front office will need to gauge how much more Heyward contributions it can expect as he aims to play into his late 30s.

A number of veterans around the NFL are set to miss OTAs as they aim to land new contracts. That group includes Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, who will be absent from the team during upcoming OTAs.

The three-time All-Pro is under contract for one more year with his $65.6MM 2020 extension set to expire. Heyward admitted in January that he needed time to evaluate his future, but he is now committed to continuing his decorated career. As a result, he is angling for an extension while missing voluntary workouts.

When speaking about his situation on his Not Just Football podcast, Heyward said, “[I] have always attended these, but at this time it’s just contract negotiations, and I want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler, but we’ll see what happens” (h/t ESPN’s Brooke Pryor).

Heyward, 35, has spent his entire 13-year career in Pittsburgh, establishing himself as one of the league’s top interior defenders over that span. He racked up six straight Pro Bowls from 2017-22, but last season he was limited to just 11 regular season games due to a groin injury. The Ohio State product – who was healthy in time for the Steelers’ wild-card game – had avoided lengthy absences each season since 2016 prior to his missed time in 2023.

With just two sacks, this past campaign was Heyward’s least productive year since his rookie campaign from a pass rush perspective. He has reached double-digit sacks three times in his career, though, including the 2021 and ’22 seasons. A return to health could once again provide the team with a multitude of options at the defensive tackle spot, and an extension would likely lower Heyward’s 2024 cap hit ($22.4MM).

In Heyward’s absence, the Steelers’ OTAs will include veterans Larry Ogunjobi, Montravius Adams and Dean Lowry along the D-line. Pittsburgh has also invested at the position in the draft in recent seasons with the selections of DeMarvin Leal (2022), Keeanu Benton (2023) and Logan Lee (2024). The latter three will be in the team’s long-term plans, and it will be interesting to see if the same winds up being the case for Heyward.

After initial thoughts that Steelers defensive mainstay Cameron Heyward was perhaps contemplating retirement, we heard reports that seemed to indicate that he intended to return for his 14th season of play. The latest from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler seems to indicate that Heyward’s visions for the future expand far past the 2024 NFL season.

Heyward, 35, has spent all 13 of his NFL seasons with the Steelers, somehow getting better with age. Before reaching the fifth-year option of his first-round rookie contact, the Steelers extended Heyward to a six-year, $59.25MM deal. Up to that point, Heyward had showed plus attributes as a pass rusher with a career-high of 7.5 sacks in a season. After missing the team’s final ten games of the first year of his new contract in 2016, Heyward delivered a career year with 12.0 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, and 22 quarterback hits the following season.

Since then, Heyward has perennially been considered one of the top interior pass rushers in the NFL, missing a Pro Bowl last year for the first time since that breakout season. In addition to a down year, Heyward missed more than two games with injury for the first time since 2016, sitting out six contests near the beginning of the year. That groin injury was part of Heyward’s consideration to hang up his cleats, but according to Fowler, Heyward is healthy from last year’s injury and plans to play “several more years.”

In order to play several more years, though, Heyward is going to need a new contract. The veteran is heading into the final year of his most recent deal. He is reportedly seeking an extension and is pushing for the new deal this offseason, so much so that Heyward is planning not to attend the team’s organized team activities. An extension could also benefit the Steelers, as well, as Heyward is set to represent a $22.41MM cap hit in 2024. A new deal could lessen that cap hit, pushing bigger numbers to later years.

Heyward, who also skipped Pittsburgh’s voluntary offseason workouts, has never missed an offseason program during his time as a long-time team captain. Going to these lengths shows just how serious he is about pursuing a new deal that keeps him in town for several more seasons.