The 2025 NFL season is nearly ready to start in full swing, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty of questions that fans are excited to learn the answers to.
What hasn't been as fun to question is the availability of team captain and All-Pro defender Cam Heyward. The team and Heyward have been at an impasse over his current contract dating all the way back to March, and there is no end in sight as of now. Heyward has been vague about whether he would be willing to sit out in response to the lack of a solution to his contract demands, but recent events suggest that fans shouldn't be concerned one bit.
Between comments from both Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin, and his participation in practice for weeks now, it seemed likely that he would indeed be suiting up against the Jets. There was a brief scare when he was not at practice on Thursday, but his appearance at practice on Friday should end any speculation about his plans for Week 1.
Cam Heyward's practice appearance ends any questions about his status for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Thursday's absence was listed as a veteran day off, but many fans and media alike were sceptical, given his contract drama. Luckily, it looks like it was exactly as described with his return to practice on Friday.
Cam Heyward was not resting for a second consecutive day. Back in action Friday, for individual drills at least when we can take photo/video. Keeanu Benton fouled him here clearly. pic.twitter.com/yJFLdJUW7u
— Brian Batko (@BrianBatko) September 5, 2025
While it's possible he is just staying ready to play for when his contract is handled, Heyward means too much to this defense and is too good a teammate for me to believe he will sit out. Whether you are on his side or the organization's, the most important thing for fans is seeing him out there and helping spoil Justin Fields' revenge opportunity against the Steelers.
I do hope that both sides can come together on some kind of agreement at the last hour, as having a happy and motivated Heyward is key to their playoff hopes in 2025. Too much time and effort have been poured into this roster to let a few million dollars be the deciding factor, especially for a team legend.
If nothing is ultimately done before the season starts, however, don't be surprised if we see a similar situation play out heading into 2026. Unless he falls off considerably this season after a fourth All-Pro campaign, he will undoubtedly still be asking for a pay raise to reflect his superstar status.
I think I can speak for all involved that getting the future Hall-of-Fame defender back on the field should be the priority, regardless of what that looks like. Hopefully, the Steelers feel the same way.