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The Pittsburgh Steelers have gone all in on the 2025 NFL season. Pittsburgh understands that it is now or never with veteran QB Aaron Rodgers leading the team. But the Steelers still have one sneaky concerning situation they need to fix before Week 1.
Pittsburgh is still in a contract dispute with franchise legend Cam Heyward. There is no telling whether Heyward will play in Week 1 on his existing contract.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano explored the situation on Thursday and explained how it could be resolved before the season opener.
“Heyward adjusted his contract last year, and as a result his 2025 salary of $13.25 million is about half of what the top defensive tackles in the league earn,” Graziano explained. “He has been practicing but also made it clear he wants a raise.”
The Steelers only have $9.9 million in cap space right now. But they have significant cap space in future seasons. It should be possible to give Heyward what he wants.
“This could get resolved before Sunday’s opener, and the relationship between the team and their 14-year veteran mainstay is strong enough that it’s hard to imagine him sitting out the game,” Graziano added.
Graziano pointed to additional cash and incentives as a potential solution.
“The Steelers probably could resolve this by adding some cash and reachable incentives,” Graziano concluded. “Until then, it’s worth keeping an eye on.”
Aaron Rodgers is locked in ahead of Pittsburgh’s Week 1 game against New York. But not everyone is optimistic about the Steelers’ chances in the season opener.
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger caution fans to manage their expectations before Week 1.
“It may be a little rusty early,” Roethlisberger said via his Footbahlin podcast. “It might not be clicking on all cylinders right from the get-go. I think there may be some angst from fans because they won’t see what they were hoping to see right away. I would just say be patient with it, I think it will iron itself out.”
Roethlisberger’s comments read less like a critique of Rodgers and more a reflection on how hard it is to win in the NFL.
The Steelers brought in a ton of new faces this offseason, and it is reasonable to assume it may take some time for them to gel together.
Regardless, the Steelers should still be heavy favorites against the Jets. But they may need to lean more heavily on their offense to get the W in Week 1.
The post Steelers rumors: How Pittsburgh could ‘probably’ resolve Cam Heyward contract problem appeared first on ClutchPoints.
