Reasoning behind Cam Heyward’s lack of participation in training camp comes to light, and it’s more drama for the Steelers
The Steelers have another issue on their hands, and this time it’s with Cam Heyward.
Stop if you’ve heard this before: Cam Heyward wants a new contract.
Not even a year into his extension, Heyward is pushing for a restructured contract and a raise, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Meaning, just when you thought all the offseason and contract drama was over for the Steelers, it strikes again…
Cam Heyward wants a new deal in Pittsburgh
“Pittsburgh Steelers four-time All-Pro defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, who’s seeking a raise in a defensive market that has experienced a reset this offseason, hasn’t fully participated in practice yet this summer as he awaits a restructured contract that has not gotten done, sources told ESPN on Thursday,” wrote Adam Schefter of ESPN.
While it might seem like Heyward is the bad guy here, given he just signed the deal and has two years remaining, per usual, the devil is in the details. Heyward signed his extension last season, before he went on to have what was arguably the best season of his career at age 35, nonetheless, earning first-team All-Pro honors.
On top of that, the extension he signed only guaranteed money through March of this year. His guaranteed salary in 2025 has already been paid out via a roster bonus he earned back in March. That means that Heyward, coming off one of, if not his best season in Pittsburgh, is now being asked to play two years with no guaranteed money left on his deal, one that only made him the 23rd highest paid defensive lineman in the sport to begin with.
So you can see why he’s raised this issue. If you have followed our daily takeaways regarding training camp in Latrobe, you will know that Heyward hasn’t made a ton of noise or generated a ton of clips. In fact, the most notable clip of Heyward at camp thus far was him walking to practice in street clothes just minutes after the report from Adam Schefter broke.
We’ll see where things go from here. The whole reason the Steelers structured Heyward’s contract this way to begin with is that he was a defensive lineman coming off injury in his mid-30s.
Now he’s a year older.
But Heyward is saying, and has shown, that his stock is higher than ever.
So just when you thought the contract drama was over in Pittsburgh, the Steelers bring you right back in.
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