The Pittsburgh Steelers’ first game is just five days away, and one of their top players remains in contract negotiations limbo with a hard deadline fast approaching. Cam Heyward made it clear that he wants more money and can’t justify playing for his current salary after an All-Pro season last year.
Heyward also left the possibility open of missing regular-season games if the Steelers aren’t willing to play ball and adjust his pay. He seemed to double down on that idea this morning via his Not Just Football podcast.
Co-host Hayden Walsh asked him if there are any updates on his end.
“Nope,” Heyward said. “Nothing to talk about.”
The non-answer on its own isn’t that interesting, but Walsh managed to squeeze in one more contract question later in the show when he asked Heyward if he’ll be out there Week 1.
“We’ll see,” Heyward said.
Whether it’s a negotiation ploy to let the Steelers know he’s serious or not, Heyward seems to still be hinting that he could sit out games if his contract issue isn’t resolved. He tried to resolve this quietly with his agent initially approaching the team in February, but that clearly didn’t get the job done. The Steelers don’t typically visit non-quarterback contracts with more than one year left on the deal, and Heyward signed a three-year deal last offseason.
The team is right in trying to protect that important precedent, but Heyward is also within his rights to attempt to get some 2026 money shifted forward to reach a compromise. He told the team last offseason that he’d be back to ask for more money after he achieved All-Pro status. To his credit, he absolutely did that and kept his word.
ESPN insider Adam Schefter said via The Pat McAfee Show yesterday that “it’s about to get interesting.” With five days until the start of the season, Schefter isn’t sure whether Heyward will play Week 1.
On the other hand, Heyward never really held out as he returned to practice despite the ongoing negotiations. And he was just elected a team captain once again. He ended an OTA holdout last year because of his duties as a captain. But this time does feel a bit different. He has watched several teammates get sweeteners or new contracts altogether this season.
If anybody is deserving of the Steelers to bend the rules a bit, it’s Heyward. If not, the Steelers could be down a starting DL or two in Week 1 against Justin Fields and the New York Jets. It’s hard to imagine Heyward sitting out. But if he does, Yahya Black, Keeanu Benton and Isaiahh Loudermilk could be the starting unit until Derrick Harmon is fully healthy and Heyward returns.
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