Now that free agency and the draft are out of the way and we’re returning to the practice fields, the Pittsburgh Steelers have other matters to attend to, such as—signing DL Cameron Heyward to a contract extension? That’s what The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly is anticipating.
In contrast to the many people calling for the Steelers to demand a pay cut from Heyward, Kaboly doesn’t see that happening. He also disregarded any comments he may make about his future that may include playing elsewhere.
“That’s just him playing the game now to get that out there. He’s not going anywhere”, he told the Morning Show crew on 93.7 The Fan yesterday about Heyward. “I can see him definitely finishing his career here. He means more than just what he is on the field now. We’ve learned that with the [Ben] Roethlisberger ending”.
The Steelers actually got money from Roethlisberger, but that was also under special circumstances. The salary cap decreased due to the impact of COVID-19 coming out of his final season. In contrast, the cap is skyrocketing in the twilight years of Heyward’s career, so he’s not giving up a dime.
But they could save money via a dummy “contract extension” similar to those given to Troy Polamalu and Heath Miller. Years ago, the Steelers signed both of them to two-year extensions with no new money for the purposes of spreading the cap hit around. if they of them actually continued playing, they’d cross that bridge then. And the Steelers aren’t hurting for salary cap space, so there is no urgency to do anything, let alone rush.
“They’ll be able to construct a contract in a way that covers their rear end and makes [Heyward] happy”, Kaboly said. “I can’t see Cameron Heyward going anywhere. I could see a three-year deal where he gets his $22 million this year, decent salary next year, but be able to cover their butts maybe for the third year to be able to get out of it if they have to”.
Of course Heyward isn’t getting $22 million this year, but that is reflective of his salary cap figure. The Steelers are paying him a $16 million base salary. The additional $6,406,250 stems from previous signing bonuses and restructures. That is money the Steelers have already paid to Heyward in the paid that is accounted for now. They couldn’t touch that if they wanted to; the $16 million is the fungible amount.
If the Steelers were to sign Heyward to an extension, they could reduce his base salary to the minimum and convert the remainder into a signing bonus that they can spread out over the remainder of the deal. If they really wanted to, they could add void years as well, but they prefer not to.
Or they could do nothing, as other reporters have suggested. Just days ago Gerry Dulac expressed the belief that the Steelers won’t touch Heyward’s contract. That means they won’t ask him for a pay cut, but won’t extend him either. He also indicates he believes this is Heyward’s last season, though Heyward seems to believe otherwise.
A lot of fans are down on Cameron Heyward coming off a down year due to injury. He didn’t play a single healthy snap all season due to a groin issue stemming from training camp. Even now healthy, however, many question his ability to return to his previous form. He was a 10-sack player before the 2023 season, but at 35 years old, how much does he have left? That’s the question those on the outside are asking, but perhaps not those on the inside.
