In an article discussing Cameron Heyward’s decision to skip voluntary workouts as he seeks a new contract, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac wrote that Heyward didn’t tell the team, instead announcing it on his podcast, Not Just Football.
Heyward clapped back at that report in a tweet today.
“That is a bold face lie. @gerrydulac just cuz I don’t answer your text doesn’t mean I don’t communicate with the team. You will not slander my name.”
That is a bold face lie. @gerrydulac just cuz I don’t answer your text doesn’t mean I don’t communicate with the team. You will not slander my name
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) May 21, 2024
It isn’t a surprise that Heyward told the team first. For one, the report came out that Heyward would skip OTAs before the latest episode of his podcast came out, and it was only touched on briefly during the podcast. If Heyward wanted to make a spectacle of announcing he wasn’t attending, then it would’ve been a bigger deal during the episode, which you can watch here.
As a veteran and leader of the team, it also wouldn’t have been the best optics for Heyward not to tell the team first before announcing it to the public, even though he’s under no obligation to, because again, the workouts are all voluntary. Even if Heyward had shown up, he likely wouldn’t have done a ton of work as a veteran and someone coming off a core muscle injury that impacted him for much of the 2023 season.
It’s not a big deal that Heyward is skipping voluntary workouts, and it will be interesting to see where things stand when it comes to him getting a new contract. His contract expires after the 2024 season, and Heyward likely wants more of a long-term commitment from the franchise he’s spent his whole career with, and possibly new money in 2024, as well. Even at 35, Heyward is the anchor of Pittsburgh’s defensive line and was the team’s best run defender last season even while playing through injury.
Now that he should be fully healthy in 2024, Heyward will look to get back to the All-Pro level he’s played at for the majority of his career. It would make sense for the team to want to sign him, and it’s understandable why Heyward wants more stability in the form of an extension. Off the field, he’s a pillar in the Pittsburgh community and won the 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his charitable work through his Heyward House Foundation.
Even though Heyward won’t be at OTAs when Phase 3 begins today, it’s not something that will come as a surprise to the team, and it’s likely not something the team views as a big deal, either.
