Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Cam Heyward is unhappy about his contract situation. So much so, he is staging yet another “hold in” during Steelers training camp. Heyward has even gone so far as to suggest he is willing to miss games if his contract is not renegotiated. This, despite the fact that his current renegotiated contract is less than twelve months old. If his current deal is not up to his standards, Cam Heyward has no one to blame but himself.
Let’s back up to last offseason. Cam Heyward was coming off an injury plagued 2023 season, and had one year left on his contract. That deal was for $16 million, but most of that was not guaranteed. This is the point where Heyward had a choice. He could have bet on himself, played out the last year of that contract, and become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Imagine what he could have earned on the open market coming off an All-Pro season.
Instead Heyward decided to hedge, and take the safe route. He took the guaranteed money in 2024, and two additional years at well below market value. Essentially telling the world even he did not fully believe a 36 year old defensive tackle could have the season he eventually had in 2024. No one can, or should blame him. The NFL is a brutal sport. Having the option of taking money while you can, rather than gamble on future performance is a perfectly reasonable strategy.
Here’s the thing though, the Steelers should not have to bail Cam Heyward out of his decision. They too took risk in this deal. It was probably more likely that a 36 year old coming off an injury would fall off a cliff, rather than have an All-Pro Season. The Steelers took that risk and guaranteed his salary in exchange for cheaper numbers in 2025, and 2026.
Even with those below market numbers, there was risk for the Steelers. Pittsburgh has to pay the majority of Cam Heyward’s salary via a roster bonus in March of this year and next. Meaning they have to make a decision on Heyward well before their roster is set, or knowing Cam Heyward’s full health status. That’s a significant advantage for Heyward getting paid his contract in full well before the team even enters training camp.
At the end of the day is Cam Heyward worth more than $16 million in 2025? The answer is probably yes even when factoring in his age. The problem is the NFL doesn’t quite work that way. You don’t get to renegotiate your contract on a yearly basis. If the Steelers were to give in and redo Cam Heyward’s contact, it could lead to serious repercussions. What would stop TJ Watt to ask for more money next year once players like Micah Parsons start passing him as the highest paid non-quarterback?
The reality here is the Steelers are not likely to budge. Omar Khan could move up some of next year’s money to this year, making a largely symbolic gesture of raising Heyward’s salary in 2025. If this was on the table, you’d think it would be done already given how simple a solution it is. Both sides appear to be dug in here, meaning we could be in for an ugly run towards week one. Cam Heyward had a chance to bet on himself and cash in on one last big contract. He missed that opportunity, and unfortunately for him he will never get that shot again.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the Steelers Sanctuary YouTube Channel where we go into further detail about the Cam Heyward contract situation on our latest episode here: https://www.youtube.com/live/bKDMahyxS8k?si=ZBfLd_1wc23P2v8y