Entering his 14th season in the NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward has made it quite clear that he wants a new contract from the Steelers and wants to play three more years as a “one-helmet guy.”
To date, the Steelers haven’t reached an agreement with him on a contract extension, but despite not having a new deal in hand, Heyward isn’t conducting a hold-in during training camp.
Instead, Heyward is focusing on controlling what he can control, which is his health, preparation and production.
Speaking to reporters after the first training camp practice in Latrobe, Heyward addressed how he’s attacking the 2024 season, starting in training camp.
“I’m not gonna get my hopes up either way, and I’m not gonna put stock in that,” Heyward said when asked about his confidence a deal will get done, according to video via Chris Adamski on Twitter. “You know, for me, it’s just about trying to get better every day. In the offseason, you can dwell on it, and you can’t do anything about it.
“But the thing I can control is I can be productive, I can be healthy, and if they believe in me and think I can fight more, so be it. But if they don’t, I’ll go somewhere else.”
Cam Heyward again reiterates that he wants to play multiple more seasons and he hopes it’s with the Steelers but that he’s prepared to play a elsewhere if it comes to it pic.twitter.com/f7lLLRvPzG
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) July 25, 2024
Heyward certainly said the right thing in that situation, turning the focus onto himself and his performance. That’s all he can do right now: Let his play do the talking daily in training camp, potentially in the preseason, and then in the regular season.
But while it all sounds good, he should know he can’t control his production or his health.
Heyward can do everything in his power to make sure his body is as healthy and prepared as possible daily to go through the grind of a season. But you simply can’t prevent injuries. They happen; it’s the nature of sports and the human body.
He can’t control his production either because he’s going against another player on every rep and has to be put in a position to produce, whether the play is coming his way in the run game or a pass play that he can rush the passer on. That’s all out of his control.
What he can control is his mentality, and he seems to be in a great spot entering Year 14, even with some frustrations about the contract situation.
The “go somewhere else” line isn’t new, either. It’s something Heyward has stated this offseason, which raised some eyebrows. But that’s the nature of the business. He believes he can still play, and play at a high level. If push comes to shove, maybe he does move on.
But that’s not his focus right now. His focus is on controlling what he can control, or at least attempting to. Hopefully, Heyward shows he’s still the same dominant force he’s always been in the process.
