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Brooke Pryor
LATROBE, Pa. — Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward, amid a hold-in, strongly advised Monday he could be keen to overlook regular-season video games as he seeks to renegotiate a contract extension signed in 2024.
“There are undoubtedly choices on the market that would mirror that,” he mentioned in his first public feedback since ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Heyward’s hold-in and contract request final week.
He added: “My purpose is to be out right here, and I do not know what is going on to occur. I’ve needed to be sincere with myself to be prepared for each possibility. And has it gone the best way I needed to go? No. If it did, I’d be on the market enjoying and practising, however I might wish to put this within the rearview mirror and fear about ball and fear about [the] New York Jets [in] Week 1.
Heyward, drafted No. 31 by the Steelers in 2011, mentioned his formal request to renegotiate his contract dates again to February. He determined to start holding in and never collaborating in camp practices late final week partly due to the state of negotiations.
“I am trying to be valued. … I do know what I convey to this group and what I am able to on and off the sector, so it is exhausting for me, after the 12 months I’ve had, to actually justify enjoying on the quantity I am enjoying at.”
Cameron Heyward
“Cannot say I am not disillusioned in the place we’re at,” he mentioned. “I feel it is fairly easy with the way it might be dealt with. There’s been reporting about the way it might be performed, however I simply want I may simply be on the market not having to fret about this.”
Heyward, 36, signed a two-year, $29 million extension with the Steelers in September 2024, placing him underneath contract by means of the 2026 season. In response to OverTheCap.com, his contract’s $14.5 million common annual worth is ranked twenty third for inside defensive linemen.
“I am trying to be valued,” Heyward mentioned. “… I do know what I convey to this group and what I am able to on and off the sector, so it is exhausting for me, after the 12 months I’ve had, to actually justify enjoying on the quantity I am enjoying at.
“I perceive. I signed a contract final 12 months, however to be fully sincere with you, after I signed that, I informed him when I’ve an All-Professional 12 months anticipating me to return again and you may take a look at the contract and see what it was. However I feel all people type of giggled a little bit bit, however in my head, I used it as motivation to go on the market and show it.”
Heyward did simply that, incomes first-team All-Professional honors for a 12 months during which he performed in all 17 regular-season video games and picked up eight sacks, 20 quarterback hits and 71 mixed tackles. He was dominant on the line of scrimmage, too, main all defensive linemen with 11 passes defended.
As a part of the 2024 deal, Heyward obtained a $13.45 million assured roster bonus for 2025 to convey his complete compensation for the 12 months to $14.75 million. Heyward is about to earn a $12.95 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the league 12 months in 2026 if he stays on the roster. Heyward’s contract does not have any assured cash past this season.
Heyward did not make his particular requests public, however when requested if he wish to restructure subsequent 12 months’s bonus into ensures for the 2025 season, Heyward mentioned that is one thing “comparable” to what he is excited about.
“It isn’t unprecedented,” he mentioned. “There’s been cases the place it is occurred earlier than, and it makes me type of weary simply because it isn’t unprecedented, and I feel there’s a neater approach to get this performed to nonetheless respect the Steelers and what they do and having tiers out of a contract, however we’ll see.”
Coming off an damage that shortened his 2023 season, Heyward mentioned he was requested to take a pay reduce as a part of the 2024 extension. Heyward had been scheduled to make a $16 million base wage in 2024. By agreeing to the extension, he made $3.4 million much less in 2024 — $12.6 million with a $1.3 million base wage and an $11.3 million signing bonus.
“In my eyes after I take a look at it, they may have reduce me final 12 months,” he mentioned. “The best way I used to be approached, I used to be requested to take a pay reduce, and we ended up getting a deal performed. However after I take a look at the market, and I take a look at what I’ve performed, it is exhausting to actually wrap my head round enjoying at a quantity the place I am not even half of what the remainder of the market is.”
Kansas Metropolis Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones is on the high of the inside line of defense market, making a median of $31.75 million per 12 months with $95 million assured. Earlier this month, Denver Broncos defensive lineman Zach Allen, who turns 28 this month, signed a four-year, $102 million contract with $69.5 million assured and a median worth of $25.5 million.
Heyward mentioned he has continued to have conversations with normal supervisor Omar Khan, group president and proprietor Artwork Rooney II, and coach Mike Tomlin. After Monday’s follow, Tomlin dismissed issues about Heyward’s future availability, saying, “not as I sit right here at the moment, no.”
“It is only a element of huge enterprise,” Tomlin mentioned of Heyward’s scenario. “It isn’t unique to us or to Cam. It is happening in a variety of areas. The wonderful thing about it’s we have had good relations with Cam since he is been right here. He is been a heck of a Steeler. We talk formally and informally. I think about it’s going to stay the identical, and we’ll discover a approach to see our means by means of this stuff.”
