Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers four-time All-Pro defensive tackle Cam Heyward hasn’t fully participated in practice yet this summer as he awaits a restructured contract that has not gotten done, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Heyward did not practice on Thursday, and he declined media requests after practice.
He also mad a cryptic post on Instagram shortly after practice. The post read, “When you take things for granted, the things you are granted get taken.”
To say the least, it appears Heyward is not happy with the Steelers right now.
Heyward is scheduled to make $14.75 million this season, with $13.45 million of that already having been earned as a roster bonus in March. Heyward is seeking a raise in a defensive market that has experienced a reset this offseason. Heyward and the Steelers have addressed this privately, but have not made any progress on any reworked deal, Schefter notes.
Heyward is currently the 22nd highest-paid interior defensive lineman in the NFL by average annual value.
The Steelers saw Heyward’s career resurgence in 2024. This came after an injury-plagued 2023. Pro Football Focus recently ranked him as the third-best interior defensive lineman.
He ranked only behind Kansas City’s Chris Jones and New York’s Dexter Lawrence. The 15-year veteran is coming off of a remarkable turnaround from one of his best seasons last year.
Heyward, who turned 36 this past month, finished 2024 with eight sacks, 20 quarterback hits, and a career-high 11 pass deflections. This effort earned him his seventh career Pro Bowl and fourth All-Pro honors.
Despite drafting Derrick Harmon in the first-round and Keeanu Benton two years ago, Heyward doesn’t see this year as a “passing of the torch.
“I think you don’t really think about passing the torch right now,” Heyward said at OTA’s. “I think it’s about, ‘How can we make this team the best it can be?’ It’s not about holding secrets or anything. It’s about making sure we’re all growing at a pace that, by Week 1, we’re ready to kick this thing up.”
Heyward came in at No. 83 on the annual NFL Top 100 list. He was ranked No. 98 in 2024 and No. 45 in 2023.
“The old man is doing it good right now. I can’t describe it,” Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen said of Heyward. “I think it’s what, Year 15 for him? It’s just crazy.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Cam Heyward Declines Interview, Makes Cryptic Instagram Post
