The Pittsburgh Steelers still have a number of notable players set to hit the free-agent market next year. Here are the three who were affected most by Cameron Heyward’s extension.
It was rumored that the Steelers would try to extend one of their star players before the start of the 2020 regular season. With time running out on the clock, Pittsburgh was able to ink a deal with two-time All-Pro defensive lineman, Cameron Heyward that will keep him locked to the team until the 2025 offseason when he will be 35 years old.
Heyward recently admitted to reporters that he wasn’t very optimistic about getting a deal done with the Steelers in time. According to Brooke Pryor of ESPN, Heyward said, “There was a time where this was almost dead, to be completely honest. …. I was getting ready for this to be a farewell tour and my last ride.”
Fortunately, Art Rooney II and the front office came through in the finest hour. Now one of the best Steeler players of the past decade will finish his career where it all started.
However, not all news is good. With Heyward inking a massive new contract worth a total value of $75.1 million, this leaves less on the table to go around for some of the other notable Pittsburgh talent. While there are a few ways that the Steelers could squeeze a little more money back into the salary cap for next year (including a potential Ben Roethlisberger extension), there’s no guarantee they will have enough to sign their other prominent players.
Here are the three Pittsburgh Steelers affected most by Cameron Heyward’s contract extension: