It's no secret Steelers defensive lineman and team leader Cam Heyward wants a new deal. But on Monday, he showed up at OTAs after skipping the first two weeks to send a message as he enters the final year of a four-year, $65.6 million deal he signed in 2020.
When asked if there's been any progress, Heyward was honest while speaking to reporters after OTAs.
"There’s been communication, but there’s nothing to really report on that right now," he said on Monday. "I don’t think a deal gets done tomorrow; I’ll tell you that. But, you know, there’s been communication, and we’ll see where it takes us."
While Heyward showing up did spark excitement among fans and is a positive sign in terns of his relationship with the only NFL franchise he's ever known, there's reason to wonder if the Steelers caving and extending the 35-year-old Walter Payton Man of the Year is actually wise.
No matter what Heyward says, a deal will likely get done. After all, Heyward does still offer value to Pittsburgh, both on and off the field. However, what exactly would the Steelers be paying for?
In a league with a salary cap, franchises need to ensure they are paying for future production and not just a resume from the past. Heyward has been the one constant throughout a Steelers era that's been filled with far more drama than playoff wins.
After being drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Heyward arrived shortly after the Steelers lost XLV. And from that point on, Heyward has only participated in one playoff win: the 2015 AFC Wild Card game against the Bengals. Despite the lack of postseason success, Heyward is a three-time first-team All-Pro and a six-time Pro Bowler. He has a Hall of Fame case.
Heyward has also been transparent about wanting to win that elusive ring, but shelling out big money to Heyward into his late 30's may hinder the Steelers' chances to win a title.
This is all coming at a bad time for Heyward, too. After playing every game in back-to-back sessions, he is coming off a season in which he recorded 33 tackles in only 11 games played. Father Time is undefeated and Heyward is not going to get better and healthier with age, no matter how many times he says his most recent injury is behind him. Heyward could very well be hitting the period of his career that sees him need time off in order to be effective.
Like most teams, the Steelers will have plenty of decisions to make in the coming years. For as much as people debate the better option at quarterback, neither Russell Wilson nor Justin Fields are locked up beyond 2024. The Steelers will also have to decide if to give Najee Harris a new contact. And George Pickens may need a new deal as well. That's just on offense.
The more the Steelers pay Heyward, the less they have for the other much younger stars. To ensure keeping a couple of their key contributors and still having room for new additions, it might be time to tell Heyward, that while having him around for the rest of his career would be nice, there's a limit to the kind of money he can hold against the salary cap.
