Steelers Now
While many in the fanbase are up in arms about Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward “holding in” at training camp over a contract dispute, former Steelers nose tackle Chris Hoke understands why Heyward is seeking a pay raise.
“I have no problem with what Cam Heyward is doing,” Hoke said on 93.7 The Fan. “I think he’s going about it the right way. Cam Heyward is out there working. He’s talking to the young fellas. This will get worked out. The reality is, he wants guaranteed money. And you never know, nothing is guaranteed in this business. He’s a first-round draft pick, yes. He’s played a lot of years, yes. He’s made a lot of money, yes. But really your years of earning and leverage only last so long and you got to live the rest of your life. So he’s making a business decision, but he’s going about it the right way. He’s doing it the way where it will get him paid rather than staying away from the team.”
When the dust settles, Hoke expects Heyward to be on the field against the New York Jets in Week 1 at MetLife Stadium.
“Cam Heyward is a team guy. Come Week 1, Cam Heyward is going to be on that field,” Hoke said.
Heyward hasn’t fully participated in practice yet this summer as he awaits a restructured contract, 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...
