Cameron Heyward, a four-time All-Pro defensive lineman, has spent 15 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, establishing himself as one of the team’s key players. With the NFL season only a few months away, Heyward doesn’t have much time to sort out his contract situation. This injury has limited his involvement in training camp and preseason games. Despite these challenges, Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin remains optimistic about Heyward’s readiness for the season opener against the New York Jets.
Heyward—a new deal in September 2024. This two-year extension is valued at $29 million, or an average of $14.5 million per year. That means he currently sits 23rd out of all interior defensive linemen in average annual value. After a tremendous All-Pro season, Heyward came out and complained about his pay, saying, “I want to be paid what I’m worth. I know what I bring to this team and what I’m capable of on and off the field, so it’s hard for me, after the year I’ve had, to really justify playing at the number I’m playing at.”
Before the start of training camp, Heyward made headlines when he briefly participated in a hold-in over his frustrations with the contract situation. He was back on the field for the first time on August 19, taking part in individual drills and team periods. He’s still non-committal to returning in time for the Jets on Sunday. “We’ll see,” he said when queried about his impending unavailability.
Tomlin has been pretty clear on his desire to have Heyward ready when the 2022 season kicks off against Cincinnati. “I’m certainly expecting Cam to play. Cam’s role with team building Cam has received almost all the credit in team building the past few years. My responsibility is to get him in and out of Latrobe, and if I’ve done my responsibility,” Tomlin said. He wanted the record to show that he has no issue with Heyward’s readiness for the field or his readiness for the game.
Though his recent re-engagement in practice may have smoothed some ruffled feathers on his contract, the feelings aren’t going away. He indicated that he has considered various options regarding his situation: “I think there are definitely options out there that could reflect that.” His eyes, of course, are on getting ready for the Jets. The plan is for me to be out here, and I don’t have really an idea of how this is going to go. I had to get real with myself in order to be prepared for all possibilities. Has it gone the way I hoped it would?
We don’t need to elaborate on how attached the Steelers are to Heyward’s value over replacement defensively. It’s his experience and skill set that positions him as the key player. Stay tuned for much more from Patrick as they prepare for their first match of the season. The coaching staff is hopeful that he can put aside contract negotiations and concentrate on his performance on the field.
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