LATROBE, PA (93.7 The Fan) – Steelers captain Cam Heyward doesn’t feel valued and said he would consider holding out games if it came to that. He will continue to hold-in as the team continues to prepare for the season.
“I’m looking for my contract to be addressed,” Heyward said Monday. “Honestly, looking to be valued. I know what I bring to this team and what I’m capable of, on and off the field. It’s hard for me, after the year I had, to really justify playing at the number I’m playing at.”
Heyward will play for a total of $14.5 million this season and next after signing a contract extension last year. Coming off an All-Pro season and ranked as the best defensive lineman in the game by Pro Football Focus, Heyward said he’s the 22nd highest paid defensive tackle and 36th highest paid defensive lineman. The 36-year-old said he warned Steelers management this would happened after he signed the extension.
“When I signed that, I told them, ‘when I have an All-Pro year, expect me to come back’ Heyward said. “I think everyone giggled a little bit, in my head I used it as motivation to go out there and prove it.”
Heyward said the contract extension was basically at less money that he had to take after he missed six games in the 2023 season. He said he was trying to play through an injury.
“The way I was approached, I was asked to take a pay cut, when we ended up getting a deal done,” Heyward said. “But when I look at the market and look at what I’ve done, it’s hard to really wrap my head around playing at a number that is half of what the rest of the market is.”
The 10-time Steelers captain said he had conversations with Steelers general manager Omar Khan on Monday and has also talked to team president Art Rooney and head coach Mike Tomlin. He said the team has been aware of his feelings since February and it lasting until now is a sign of no progress. He believes it’s pretty simple of how it can be handled, alluding to the team giving him more guaranteed money this year and talking about a new deal for 2026.
Part of the issue for the team is likely him renegotiating with two years left on his contract, which the team doesn’t do. Heyward said there is precedent of it happening, likely alluding to Ben Roethlisberger getting a new deal with two years left and them moving money around for Antonio Brown in similar circumstances.
“Has it gone the way I wanted it to go, no,” Heyward said. “If it did, I would be out there playing and practicing. I would like to put this in the rearview mirror and worry about ball and the New York Jets Week 1.”
The Walter Payton Man of the Year says he’s looking at all options and he still respects the team and front office. Again, one of those options is not playing when the season begins.
So much for the contract stuff being behind the team after TJ Watt signed the richest contract by a non-quarterback in NFL history.