The Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran DT Cameron Heyward to a new contract on Wednesday and while we loosely knew details related to it, the correct numbers are now known as of Friday morning, via Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.
As part of what was really just a two-year contract extension with no new money given in 2024, the Steelers turned all but $1.3 million of the $16 million that Heyward was scheduled to earn in 2024 into a signing bonus. That full signing amount bonus was $14.7 million. That produced a proration amount of $4.9 million to go along with his previous proration amount of $6,406,250 and his new 2024 base salary of $1.3 million.
Heyward’s salary cap charge for 2024 will be $12,606,250, $9.8 million less than it was scheduled to be prior to him signing the new contract. All of the $16 million that Heyward will earn in 2024 is now fully guaranteed as part of the contract terms.
Moving past 2024, Heyward will have base salaries in 2025 and 2026 of $1.3 million. Heyward also has roster bonuses in 2025 and 2026 of $13.45 million and $12.95 million, respectively. Those will likely be due sometime in March of each of those respective years. None of that money in 2025 and 2026 is fully guaranteed, however.
Heyward’s cap charges for 2025 and 2026 are set to be $19.65 million and $19.15 million, respectively.
The only real surprise in the Heyward deal is the sizable roster bonuses in 2025 and 2026. That’s not a huge shock overall, as it forces early offseason decisions from the Steelers. The Steelers can, however, restructure that 2025 roster bonus come time that it is due by turning it into signing bonuses as to lower Heyward’s salary cap charge.
Before signing his new contract, Heyward had a new money average of $16.4 million. With just $29 million in new money included in the contract that he just signed, Heyward’s new money average drops to $14.5 million.
