The first big contract extension of the offseason went to Cameron Heyward, the veteran defensive tackle entering his 14th season with the team. That will likely make him a one-helmet guy as he finishes his career with the team that drafted him.
Mike Tomlin was asked about Heyward in an interview with Bob Labriola this morning via the team website.
“There’s a lot that’s unique about Cam, and I think the contract is reflective of that,” Tomlin said via Labriola. “This guy’s a 10-time captain. I don’t know how many 10-time captains on NFL football teams there have been in the history of the NFL, but I just think that’s reflective of his body of work…It’s been cool to have been a part of and witness not only his growth and development as a player but as a leader and how he carries the banner for this organization. I’m happy for him; I’m happy for us.”
There was understandably some hesitancy from many in giving a 35-year-old coming off an injury-plagued season a sizable extension. But the structure of the contract is friendly for the Steelers as they have plenty of outs after each season.
Other than his signing bonus, the majority of his money comes in the form of roster bonuses. That gives the Steelers the opportunity to part ways with Heyward with relatively little dead money if his play declines or if there are more injuries.
It also gives them the flexibility to restructure those bonuses to clear cap space each season, as they often do.
As long as Heyward can stay healthy, he hasn’t shown any signs of a significant drop-off in his play. Even playing clearly injured over the second half of the 2023 season, Heyward was the team’s best run defender along the defensive line.
Heyward had a message for the world after some offseason surgeries.
“Done doing stuff on 1 leg that guys were doing on 2 legs lol Can’t wait to get back to myself,” Heyward wrote on X.
If his 2023 level of play was him on just one leg, then I think he should be just fine moving into 2024.
And beyond his play on the field, he is one of the great leaders of this team. While most players would do a lengthy holdout in the midst of contract negotiations, Heyward missed just a portion of the voluntary OTA practices this spring. He ultimately said he didn’t want to miss out on the team development and his role as a captain in that process.
In a show of good faith, Heyward was available to the team for all mandatory sessions (and some of the voluntary ones). That speaks to his leadership and character.
Tomlin was asked what it takes to be a one-helmet guy.
“When you’ve got intangible traits and strong leadership qualities, it allows you to grow older gracefully, and those are the guys who have an opportunity to be one-helmet guys,” Tomlin said via Labriola.
The deal really was a win for both sides. The Steelers get to keep an excellent defensive lineman and leader, and Heyward gets to finish out his career the way he wanted in pursuit of a Super Bowl championship with the team that drafted him.
