Time in the NFL is finite, and careers are obviously shorter than almost any other line of work. In football, you are considered old the day you turn 30. So for Cameron Heyward, who was selected in the 2011 NFL Draft, he is among the oldest players in the league. With just one year left on his contract, Heyward has been looking for an extension that keeps him in Pittsburgh for two or three more seasons.
At the beginning of the voluntary OTA practices in the spring, Heyward was holding out. It wasn’t midway through the process that he returned to practice. He did not join the popular trend of holding in at training camp. This allows players to make a point of their displeasure with their current contract while avoiding the daily fines that come with missing mandatory work.
After Wednesday’s practice, Heyward explained why he did not hold in during training camp, even while he still waits for a contract extension.
“One, I needed to prove to everybody that I was healthy, especially with last year,” Heyward said in a video posted by Amanda Godsey on X. “I still want to win. As much as I want things to go right for me, I want things to go right for the Steelers. I want to be a contributor in this, not a distraction.”
Heyward has been a long-time captain for the Steelers. If he gets named a captain once again in 2024, it will be his 10th-straight season in that role. This is exactly the type of team-first mentality you would hope for from a captain, though you can’t blame players for trying to maximize their earning potential.
Even while Heyward was staying away from OTAs, fellow DL Keeanu Benton told reporters that Heyward was still helping from afar and staying close to the happenings at practice. At this point of his career, Heyward is trying to make sure he leaves a legacy. Finally winning a Super Bowl championship is the ultimate pursuit. Holding in wouldn’t have helped that case.
He was asked during his media availability today for any contract updates, to which he replied, “There’s nothing to report.”
