No contract talks yet with Cam Heyward. It is hard to imagine him in another uniform but he’s turned himself into a $16M-plus per year player and that might present a problem for the Steelers. https://t.co/aLssbXorXi
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) June 4, 2020
Defensive tackle Cameron Heyward is entering the final year of a six-year, $59.2 million deal he inked in 2015.
The good? He’s only gotten better since.
The bad? He’s only gotten better since.
If the Steelers sign him to another extension, his salary demands will undoubtedly reflect his caliber. According to Spotrac, Heyward’s value is in the neighborhood of three years/$50 million based on his production and versatility.
The 31-year-old hardly looks his age on the field. An All-Pro last season, Heyward had a career year with nine sacks and 83 tackles. He also had 32 pressures, 11 hurries and 11 knockdowns. Ranked as the number two defensive interior lineman according to Pro Football Focus, Heyward was only behind the Rams Aaron Donald in 2019. Heyward logged 29 sacks over the past three seasons, which is not typical for guys on the interior. Those numbers have rightfully earned him three consecutive Pro Bowl nods.
Heyward will earn $9.5 million in 2020, which, according to OverTheCap, makes him the 16th highest-paid defensive lineman. He will count $13.2 million against the cap, the fifth-highest behind quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, linebacker Bud Dupree, guard David DeCastro, and defensive end Stephon Tuitt.
Heyward said there were early contract talks, which hinted that the Steelers are interested in signing him to a long-term deal. For an aging player like Heyward, you’d have to wonder just how “long-term” it would be.
“We have talked about it (prior), but things happen,” Heyward said in an interview with Mark Kaboly of “The Athletic”. “We haven’t had any talks as of late, and it may be due to the virus, I don’t know. I don’t know if their minds have changed. I understand their policy and respect their policy. If I have to play this year and go into next year as a free agent, then so be it. That’s not going to deter me from being the best teammate, the best person, the best player I can be.”
It’s worth noting that no NFL team has signed a player to a contract extension yet this offseason. A likely factor is an uncertainty of what the 2021 salary cap will be. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported Thursday that it could potentially drop by at least $40 million, as the cap is based on expected revenue, which could be significantly affected by implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think everything got halted a little bit with the virus, and everybody pressed on the brakes,” said Heyward. “But I have understood their policies in the past about not going forward during the season. We are living in a time that things are changing rapidly. I am just taking it day by day, and we will see what happens.”
It has been Steelers policy — since the year after free agency began in 1993 — to not negotiate contracts in-season. Generally, the front office mediates extensions of key veterans already under contract right before the season as they did with Joe Haden last September and Stephon Tuitt in 2017. Should Heyward and the Steelers not agree to a contract extension before September 14, the chances of him being back in black and gold in 2021 are slim, and he would become a free agent in March.
Without question, Heyward embodies what it means to wear the Steelers uniform. The five-time defensive captain is not only a respected leader in the locker room, but he’s an active member of the Pittsburgh community. In 2015, Heyward established The Heyward House, a foundation dedicated to impacting the lives of today’s youth. The tackle is a three-time nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which recognizes a player’s volunteer and charity work and excellence on the field.
Heyward is among a laundry list of 2021 free agents, including wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, running back James Conner, LB Bud Dupree, offensive tackles Alejandro Villanueva, Zack Banner, and Matt Feiler, defensive end Tyson Alualu, cornerback Mike Hilton, and DT Daniel McCullers.
General manager Kevin Colbert has a way of making lemonade out of apples when we look at their salary cap situation and think it can’t be done. The question is, will the Steelers want to sign a player to a long-term deal who will be nearing 32-years-old when his contract expires?
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