For Ryan Clark, Cam Heyward missing OTAs is merely an offseason footnote, not a headline story. Discussing the topic of Heyward’s intention of skipping voluntary workouts this spring, Clark said Heyward will be ready come the fall.
“I believe it’s nothing,” he said on NFL Live Thursday. “It’s part of what happens as players get a little older. Get to the end of some of their contracts…I’ll tell you a little story about Mike Tomlin. As I got up in age and also along with Troy, he would call us both on the same day. And he’d ask us, what week do y’all want to come to OTAs?’ And we’d both ask him the same question. Do you want us on different weeks or together? And he’d normally go together. And that’s when we would go.
“Coach Tomlin isn’t one of those coaches who forces people into OTAs. Cam is the ultimate professional…he’s one of those guys you can count on for consistency.”
As Heyward noted on Thursday’s edition of his Not Just Football podcast, he’s still working and training even as he seeks out one more contract extension. Though not confirmed, he’ll likely attend the team’s mandatory minicamp in mid-June, though he probably won’t participate without a new deal.
Heyward’s hardly the first to use this tactic, now common and replacing true “hold outs” given the punitive fine structure the NFL has implemented for those who don’t attend. It’s just a question of if Pittsburgh is interested in a two-year extension with Heyward or if they want to play out the season and see how he performs at 35 years old. The amount of money and contract structure Heyward wants will also impact the likelihood of a deal being reached.
Concern stems from his age and coming off a groin injury that impacted his entire 2023 season, though he still was stout against the run when on the field even at less than 100 percent.
Clark is confident Heyward will be ready when the games matter.
“They know where he will be and how he will be there in August and September.”
Heyward’s current contract runs through 2024. We’ll have to wait to hear from Mike Tomlin next week should he be asked about Heyward’s absence, though Tomlin’s typical stance isn’t to discuss players who aren’t in attendance.
