What was a side story has become one of the biggest Pittsburgh Steelers offseason discussions. Though there had already been discussion over Cam Heyward’s future, the veteran entering 2024 on the final year of his deal, it went from afterthought to centerpiece when Heyward skipped last week’s voluntary OTAs.
Sunday night, The #1 Cochran Sports Show discussed Heyward’s decision and future, producing mixed takes on how the situation will and should play out.
“I think they have to extend him,” The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly told host Bob Pompeani. “Not have to but I think they will extend him. But I think they have to come to some kind of a middle ground.”
Kaboly pointed to the difficulty of finding the right contract terms, understanding there are few 35-year-old interior linemen who have received good-money extensions. That makes precedent hard to find in creating a contract structure. It’s also unclear what terms Heyward is looking for. Would he accept a no-new-money extension as Dave Bryan has outlined, a deal that would only make him a Steeler on paper with zero guarantees beyond this year? Does he want a pay raise in his future base salary, or would he accept his number staying flat? And is Pittsburgh comfortable projecting that out through someone’s age 36 and 37 seasons?
“It will happen,” Kaboly said of a new deal.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey didn’t like the feeling that the Steelers are backing themselves into a corner.
“I don’t wanna see Cam Heyward leave either, Pomp. I’d love for this to end in a positive way and for them to do something reasonable or whatever,” he said. “But if Cam Heyward’s gonna play hardball, I’m not bending over backwards if I’m the Steelers. I’m only doing something if it’s economical, smart for my team.”
Any extension Heyward receives would unlikely offer guaranteed money past this season. It’s not how the team structures most of its contracts, much less for someone at Heyward’s age. The only instances of Pittsburgh guaranteeing base salary are with quarterbacks and top-of-market deals like the ones OLB T.J. Watt and FS Minkah Fitzpatrick signed. Heyward won’t reach that mark. This kind of deal allows the Steelers more flexibility to cut Heyward if he declines, though there would be a dead money hit assuming his 2024 base salary is lowered, turned into a signing bonus that is prorated over the length of the deal. Still, with a rising salary cap, the team’s overall risk would be minimal.
The tricky part is coming up with a base salary that makes Heyward happy but one the team can justify paying him. Neither of these scenarios will happen but offer a future base salary of $9 million and Heyward scoffs. Give him a future base salary of $30 million and the Steelers may conclude he’s simply not worth that money and cut him.
93.7 The Fan’s Andrew Fillipponi joined the side that an extension for Heyward isn’t the right avenue.
“He thinks he sacrificed and the organization now owes him. And it’s pro sports. I love Cam, but that’s not the way it works,” Fillipponi said. “He’s lucky they didn’t ask him to take a pay cut and he thinks it’s the opposite. He thinks he should be 20, 25 million. Not 10 or eight.”
So far, the Steelers have said little about his situation. Mike Tomlin brushed off concerns over Heyward’s absence, noting the two still keep in constant contact. Heyward skipping OTAs has minimal impact on the team now but if the situation isn’t resolved by camp, there could be an effect. Should Heyward “hold-in” and not practice, it’ll become an even bigger story. And much like Ben Roethlisberger during his days off, the defense simply has a different tone and energy when Heyward isn’t part of that group. Ideally, the two sides figure something out prior to reporting to Latrobe. Whether they will by then remains to be seen.
