LATROBE, Pa. --Pittsburgh Steelers star defensive tackle and captain Cameron Heyward says he is looking forward a new contract with the team, and did not rule out missing games if his deal is not adjusted.
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 wants to be valued relative to the market that has continued to soar.
“I’m honestly looking to be valued. When I look around at my position, as a D-Tech, I’m 36 as a D-Lineman. I know what I bring to this team and what I’m capable of on and off the field. It’s hard for me to have it after the year I’m done to really justify playing at the number I’m playing at,” Heyward said.
The biggest rebuttal to Heyward getting a new deal is that he signed a deal and should honor it. For the Steelers, there was no guaranteed money past the 2024 season, though Heyward received a roster bonus in March once he was not released.
A firat-team All-Pro in 2024, Heyward wants his pay to reflect how he played on the field. Getting a one-year pay raise would seem to satisfy what he is asking.
“I understand I signed a contract last year. To be completely honest with you, when I signed that, I told them when I have an All-Pro year, they’re correcting me for that. Even after the contract, I didn’t see what it was. I think everybody kind of giggled a little bit, but in my head, I used it as motivation,” Heyward said.
The superstar pass rusher acknowledged that while talks have been ongoing with general manager Omar Khan, team president Art Rooney, and head coach Mike Tomlin, those talks have not gone as he would have liked.
That is when he resorted to the hold-in, and still is working on his own off to the side while he tries to get the contract resolved.
“I think in my eyes, when I look at it, they could have cut me last year. The way I was approached, I was asked to take a pay cut. We ended up getting the deal done. But when I look at the market and I look at what I’ve done, it’s hard to really wrap my head around playing at a number where I’m not even half of what the rest of the market is. I think you could say it’s part of whatever’s transpired so far. I can’t say I’m not disappointed with where we’re at,” Heyward said.
Heyward has a roster bonus of $12.95 million next year, and the Steelers could push some of that money forward to allow Heyward to land that money early, thus increasing his pay for the season.
He acknowledged that is something the Steelers and himself have talked about, and would be something he is open to doing.
On top of that, if this does not get resolved, Heyward said he is prepared for anything that might come, including the potential of sitting out games.
“I think there are definitely options out there that could reflect that,” Heyward said when asked if he would be willing to miss games.
Heyward, who is the second year of a three year contract that runs through 2026, has no guaranteed money left on that deal. When he inked it, the deal averaged just $15 million per season, but after an All-Pro year at 35 years old, Heyward wants that money to show his valuation to the team, which he feels is being scrutinized.
“My goal is to be out here. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’ve had to be honest with myself to be ready for every option,” Heyward said.
Head coach Mike Tomlin has no worries that Heyward will miss games, just like defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said it was not a distraction to have the contract looming overhead.
Heyward continues to be out at practice and be around the young defensive lineman, but will not go through drills until it is resolved.
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