Steelers DL Cam Heyward is still not guaranteeing he’ll play Sunday as he seeks a new contract, but with just two days until Pittsburgh kicks off the season, time is dwindling. Whether Heyward gets a new contract or not, Mike Florio doesn’t see any winners in the situation, explaining on The PM Team on 93.7 The Fan that the “tug of war” between Heyward and the Steelers never should’ve happened in the first place.
“I think anytime you have a situation where a team thinks they won a negotiation, the question is what did you really win? If you got a guy to sign a deal that a year later doesn’t look like a good deal for him, are you creating a problem with a key player? And clearly you are,” Florio said. “These situations should be avoided. And the best teams, the best organizations, avoid these situations. Whoever wins this tug of war, they both lose, because the tug of war is happening.”
Florio noted that the Steelers hold all the cards and Heyward should “tread lightly” after signing a new deal last offseason. But he also doesn’t think that Pittsburgh should’ve let things get to this point with a key player.
While Florio said that the best teams avoid these types of situations, that isn’t necessarily true. In 2023, the 49ers had contentious negotiations with Nick Bosa that dragged on until right before Week 1, while Chris Jones sat out Week 1 of 2023 due to a contract dispute with the Chiefs. Both teams were in the Super Bowl that year.
Still, the Steelers could’ve easily avoided this situation by going back to the negotiating table with Heyward when he made it clear he wanted a new deal. The contract he signed last offseason was essentially a restructure, and he’s coming off one of the best seasons of his career. The team isn’t going to break its precedent by giving him a new deal with more than one year remaining but bumping up a future roster bonus to give him a pay raise this season is an easy solution.
Given that it hasn’t happened yet, it doesn’t seem as if that’s something the Steelers are really willing to do. Now, a team captain and leader is frustrated, and while it’s unlikely he really does sit out Week 1, the possibility is there, which would spell bad news for the Steelers.
Even if Heyward does play Week 1 without a new deal, it’s not a “win” for the Steelers, as Heyward’s frustration could linger. If he signs a new deal between now and when the team leaves tomorrow, he doesn’t necessarily win either, as the contract dispute dragging on and his threat to miss games has cost him some goodwill among fans.
There’s still time for something to get worked out, but it’s a situation that’s cast a little bit of a dark cloud over what should be an exciting time as the revamped Steelers get ready to begin the 2025 season.
