Steelers Now
Adam Schefter revealed on Tuesday’s ESPN NFL Live that neither the Pittsburgh Steelers or Cam Heyward have budged in contract negotiations. The two sides are at a stalemate.
The two sides have not had very many discussions about it, and the Steelers have not had a huge appetite to reward him right now,” Schefter said.
Heyward said he’s willing to miss games in the 2025 season, if that’s what it takes to get the contract modification he’s seeking from the team.
Heyward, speaking to the media at St. Vincent College on Monday for the first time since his hold-in was reported, said that he told the team last year when he took a team-friendly offer that he would be back asking for more money if he had another All-Pro season.
Heyward did just that, earning his fourth All-Pro nod at the age of 35 last year, and said that he first approached the Steelers back in February about adjusting his contract.
“I’m looking for my contract to be addressed,” he said. “Honestly, I’m looking to be valued. … I know what I bring to this team, what I’m capable of on and off the field. It’s hard for me, after the year I had, to really justify playing at the number I’m playing at.”
Heyward signed a two-year, $29 million contract extension with the team last year that paid him a $14.7 million signing bonus, but guaranteed only that and his 2024 salary, which was $1.3 million.
He was paid a $13.45 million roster bonus this March, but is owed only another $1.3 million this season for a total of $14.75 million in cash over 2025. He is also scheduled to earn a $12.95 million roster bonus in 2026, with a $1.3 million base salary.
The Steelers made a slew of moves this season that featured hefty contracts. Schefter says Heyward feels like he’s been overlooked by the organization.
“One of the most respected players in the league, is a Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. And he wants to cash in now because he knows, frankly, that there aren’t many years left in his career,” Schefter said
“And I think you add in this: Pittsburgh, this offseason, has gone out of its way to take care of any number of players from outside and inside the organization. DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey, [Jonnu] Smith, Darius Slay, and of course, T.J. Watt. So all these players that have had nothing to do with Pittsburgh’s prior success got paid.
“T.J. Watt got paid. And here’s a player who feels like he’s meant an awful lot to this team who hasn’t gotten paid,” Schefter added on Heyward. “And the two sides have not bridged any of their differences. And it doesn’t seem like the Steelers want to pay him right now.”
Steelers general manager Omar Khan refused to comment on either Heyward’s hold-in or All-Pro kicker Chris Boswell’s during an interview with WDVE on Tuesday morning.
“We’re not going to talk about...
