One of the biggest distractions with the Pittsburgh Steelers' fanbase this summer was Cam Heyward's discontentment with the two-year contract he signed last offseason. Heyward was at the facility all summer, but barely participated in team activities as he put pressure on the Steelers to rework his deal.
But as it turns out, all that worry from the fanbase might have been for nothing.
The Steelers eventually caved and offered Heyward a reworked contract with play incentives. However, there's a chance the four-time First-Team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler never sees a penny in new money from the reworked contract language.
On Wednesday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk released Heyward's official incentives of his reworked deal... and reaching these lofty milestones won't come easy. Heyward's total incentives can reach up to $3.2 million. However, some would argue these are barely attainable.
According to the report, Heyward can earn $1.6 million if he records at least eight sacks and the Steelers make the playoffs—not one or the other, but both. To earn a check for the other $1.6 million, Heyward would need to reach at least 11.5 sacks, and the Steelers need to win at least one playoff game.
Talk about a tall task.
The Pittsburgh Steelers may never have to pay Cam Heyward his contract incentives
Let's start with the easier incentive. For Heyward to tack on an extra $1.6 million to his 2025 salary, the 36-year-old defensive lineman would need to have a season similar to the All-Pro year he had last year. In 2024, Heyward managed to earn eight sacks exactly.
But that was in 17 games, and in Week 1 this year, Heyward failed to record a sack. He's already got an uphill battle to reach this incentive. Not only does he need to average at least one sack every two games moving forward, but that's assuming he plays all 16 remaining games this season.
Oh, and even if he gets there, it doesn't count if the Steelers don't earn a playoff spot. Considering this team has a tendency to finish 9-8 or 10-7, that's far from a guarantee.
If you thought the first incentive would be hard to reach, the second incentive is virtually impossible.
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In order to see the other $1.6 million (which would give him the full $3.2 million in incentives), Heyward would need to record at least 11.5 sacks. That's just the first part. In his first 14 NFL seasons, Heyward has only recorded more than 10.5 sacks once, and that came all the way back in 2017. At 28 years old, Heyward's 12-sack season proved to be a mark he wouldn't see again over the next seven years.
Here's the real kicker. Even if Heyward miraculously has a career year at the age of 36 and somehow records at least 11.5 sacks—which would almost certainly require him to play all 16 remaining games—attempting to earn this incentive would all be for not if the Steelers don't just make the plays, but win at least one playoff game this year.
This is truly a can't-lose scenario for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
If Cam Heyward finds a way to hit his $3.2 million-worth in incentives this year, then he will deserve to make far more than the insignificant paycheck coming his way. No Steelers fan should be upset about this.