Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward is paying a hefty price for getting $3.2 million in incentives added to his 2025 contract.
Heyward can earn $1.6 million if the Steelers make the playoffs and he gets 8.5 sacks or more and then will earn the full $3.2 million if the team makes the playoffs and he notches 11.5 sacks or more.
Yet, the Steelers extracted another win in the deal. If Heyward does not play at least 30 percent of the snaps in the 2025 season, his $12.95 million March bonus scheduled for next year falls all the way to $875,000.
Heyward is scheduled to make $14.7 million next season, but voiding the bonus would have him on the books to make just $2.2 million, so it is paramount Heyward stays healthy throughout the season.
“I don’t really want to talk about it now,” Heyward said about the contract after the team’s win over the Jets. “I’ll answer that later. It’s not anything special, but we just won a big freaking game against the New York Jets. New quarterback. New freaking weapons. New freaking players on our side of the ball. Big win. I can’t really focus on anything else.”
Heyward, who is the 22nd highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL, says he talked to the team in late February that he would like a new deal. In Heyward’s own words, he just wanted to be valued relative to the market that has continued to soar.
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