Where was Cameron Heyward during the Steelers’ training camp check-in day?
Quite frankly, I don’t know if this means anything or not, but nobody seemed to hear from Cameron Heyward yesterday. For a guy who is a team captain, you normally expect him to be around and participating with the media. While I’m sure he is there at Saint Vincent College, though, he was not around in public.
This is only news because Heyward has made every movement news. The veteran defender has been very public about wanting a new contract, and he even skipped most OTA practices. He has spoken about it on multiple occasions on his podcast and on other media outlets during the offseason.
That is why people are wondering where he is, even if it is unusual for Heyward not to be front and center. He is always one of the players that we hear from right away, virtually any time players talk to reporters. But nobody even saw him, some speculating that he checked in yesterday.
The most logical and likely explanation is that Heyward didn’t want to talk about his contract situation. He has talked about that enough, and honestly, he probably knows he won’t get what he wants. Head coach Mike Tomlin said that everybody was present and accounted for, so we know that he is there.
But is this a sign of things to come? Is Heyward going to avoid talking to the media as best he can until we get past the contract stuff? Taking a more unlikely course, is this any indication of intentions to conduct a “hold-in”?
Frankly, we can’t rule that out, considering where we have already been in this story. People were mad at him for skipping OTAs, and he probably only showed up at the end due to pressure. He is fully within his rights to do that, and I only have one problem with it. It’s because I don’t see the Steelers giving Heyward a new deal, so when does the hold-in end?
The Steelers’ 2024 season is approaching, following another disappointing year that culminated in a playoff loss. The only change-up in the annual formula lately is whether they miss the playoffs altogether. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? How will the team continue to address the depth chart?
The Steelers are past free agency and the draft and their roster for the 2024 season is coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
