It was a long, grueling season for Pittsburgh Steelers standout defensive tackle and team captain Cameron Heyward.
Entering his 13th NFL season, expectations were high for Heyward — and for the Steelers.
But things came apart for Heyward right away in training camp, setting him up for a very challenging season overall that now has him contemplating his future from a physical standpoint.
Speaking with reporters Tuesday from the locker room on the South Side following Monday night’s Wild Card Round loss to the Buffalo Bills, Heyward stated that he hurt himself on the first day of training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, eventually leading to the six-time Pro Bowler fully tearing a groin muscle in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
According to a tweet from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo, Heyward stated that he partially tore his groin muscle on the first day of training camp, and then suffered a complete tear in the season opener against the 49ers, putting him under the knife for surgery and landing him on Injured Reserve while being designated to return.
Heyward also added, according to another tweet from Fittipaldo, that doctors told him he had a 12-week injury, but he was able to return in a little over six weeks, speeding up the recovery process.
That return for Heyward, getting back onto the field in Week Nine against the Tennessee Titans, was rather impressive, especially for a 34-year-old defensive lineman. However, it was a grind for Heyward to get back, he said.
Now, after finishing grinding through a very trying season, he’s evaluating his future after being a shell of himself throughout the second half of the season. To his credit, he played very well in the Wild Card loss, looking like his usual, pre-injury self.
Speaking with reporters after the loss to the Bills, Heyward stated he’s going to take some time to assess his future and get his body healthy.
“In my heart, I want to play,” Heyward said via the team’s YouTube channel. “But it’s been rough. I need to take the offseason to get healthy again. Battling back through a groin, it’s one thing to just walk off a groin, doesn’t mean you can play football, and there’s been some other stuff, but it’s definitely been a season that I just want to put my hand in that pile.”
It was a very trying season for Heyward. The groin injury hindered him in training camp and then he was hurt early in the season opener against the 49ers. Coming back from a 12-week injury in six weeks is jaw-dropping, but it might have done more harm than good for Heyward physically. Heyward had just 33 tackles, 2.0 sacks and six tackles for loss on the season and really looked his age at times on the field in the second half of the season.
He has one year remaining on his contract, but he might need to take a significant pay cut to return to the Steelers in 2024. Heyward, who turns 35 years in May, is scheduled to earn a base salary of $16 million in 2024, the final year of his contract. His cap charge, however, is set to be $22,406,250 in 2024 because of previous signing bonus proration.
As Steelers Depot’s Dave Bryan pointed out in early January, the only way that Heyward’s salary and cap hit come down is via a pay cut or an extension, either voidable years or one similar to Troy Polamalu and Heath Miller before they retired. One without voidable years would at least set up a minuscule chance he plays past 2024. However, such an extension is unlikely to include additional new money in 2024.
It’s a big offseason for Heyward from a health standpoint, and a huge offseason for the Steelers regarding Heyward from a financial standpoint. He still wants to play, but he knows he has to first get healthy. He also understands some things are out of his control, like returning to the Steelers in 2024.
“That’s up to them. I’d like to be here. But when your number’s called, your number’s called. It’s a business first,” Heyward said of his status for 2024, according to a tweet from the Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko.
We’ll see what transpires with Heyward. He certainly feels closer to the end than he ever has though. That’s painful to think about.
