In the end, Art Rooney II has decided to keep the family together as the Steelers announced that they have signed Cam Heyward to a three-year $45 million contract, with 16 million in guarantees, a 15 million dollar signing bonus and $29 million in new money.
The Steelers drafted Cam Heyward in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft and since then he has grown into the face of the franchise.
Paying homage to Franco, Cam Heyward leads Steelers out of tunnel. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com
Heyward was entering the final year of his contract leading to speculation that this could be his last year in Pittsburgh. Heyward made it clear he had no intention of retiring and that he preferred to spend his entire career in Pittsburgh.
- The only question was whether the Steelers would comply.
They answered that definitively with this contract extension.
Rooney, Khan and Tomlin Make the Right Move – On and Off the Field
Cam Heyward is already 35. There are not a lot of football players let alone defensive lineman playing at that age. Furthermore, he was injured last season and his performance dipped.
The football realpolitik would have been to let him play out his contract and then see what the off season would bring. But the Steelers brain trust did the right thing by extending Heyward now.
While Cam Heyward didn’t make the same impact last season has he has before, the Steelers defense was noticeably better with him in the line up. How else do you think the franchise could lose an inside linebacker and/or a safety a week, every week starting at about Halloween?
Moreover, the Steelers enter the 2024 season with one of the deepest defensive lines they have fielded since the days when Heyward was buried on the depth chart behind Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel, Ziggy Hood and Steve McLendon.
Larry Ogunjobi is a solid starter, and Keeanu Benton looks poised to make the proverbial “second year leap.” DeMarvin Leal is also looking strong as is Isaiahh Loudermilk, while Montravius Adams brings valuable depth with rookie Logan Lee waiting in the bull pen.
- Karl Dunbar now has the personnel to do a robust defensive line rotation.
This should lower Heyward’s snap count while improving his effectiveness. Committing not only to keeping Heyward around will reinforce his role as a mentor to the younger lineman, and cement his status as one of the locker room’s undisputed leaders.
Anytime you extend a veteran at this age does carry risk, but the public parameters suggest this is a team-friendly deal.
- But that misses the point.
This deal all but ensures that Cam Heyward will spend his entire career wearing Black and Gold and retire as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. That alone is worth the risk.
