Veteran defensive end Cam Heyward is entering the final year of his contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024, so he’s had plenty of time to think about the future while discussions for another extension are underway.
Though Heyward stated in early June that he hopes to be a “one-helmet player” and spend the rest of his career with the Steelers, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t contemplated the possibility that it may not happen if the two sides cannot agree on a long-term contract.
Heyward explored the prospect with Mark Kaboly of The Athletic, as obligatory minicamp practices ended this week.
“I spoke with my wife (Allie), and we know the reality, and she said it would be fun to play somewhere else,” Heyward said at his locker this week. “If that’s what has to be done, so be it.
“But I am still enjoying the ride here this year.”
Heyward had missed a number of OTAs early on as a “holdout” for the optional practices, and the two sides had made little headway in their negotiations for an extension. Despite the lack of development, he rejoined the team for the third and final week of voluntary OTA practices, and, as expected, he attended the mandated minicamp sessions this week.
Despite Heyward’s change of tone, fans need not be concerned that a deal will not be reached. After all, publicly acknowledging a willingness to play elsewhere gives Heyward more bargaining power than his previous statement about being a “one-helmet player”; if the team knows he’s willing to walk if the two sides can’t reach an agreement, he gains some of that leverage back.
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Unfortunately, after a season hampered by injuries and another year older, Heyward may have less negotiation power than in past seasons. Regardless, he claims he has three more years in him. Time will tell if this is the case. Heyward’s PFF defensive grade (73.1) in 2023 was the lowest since 2016, when he suffered a torn pectoral muscle. Nonetheless, there was no denying that the Steelers’ defense was a greater team with him on the field than without.
Hopefully, in the end, we’ll discover that Heyward was just playing hardball with talk of playing for another team in the future. Even as he enters his 33rd season, he remains a top player in his position, contributing significantly as a defensive leader.
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