Cameron Heyward is making headlines for reasons Pittsburgh Steelers fans didn't want to see. One year after inking a two-year, $29 million contract extension, Heyward is looking to renegotiate for more money. He's not alone in this battle.
Heyward insists that he's getting less than half of what the top of the market dictates, and after earning First-Team All-Pro honors in 2024, he's looking for a bigger payday. New Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey is joining Heyward in his efforts.
Ramsey recently joined Heyward on his Not Just Football Podcast, where he pleaded with general manager Omar Khan to give Heyward his bag.
“[I’ve] got a lot of respect for you, Mr. Omar [Khan],” Ramsey said on Not Just Football. “You took care of me, T.J. [Watt], [Darius] Slay. Cam [Heyward] is next.”
Ramsey knows that Heyward is a pivotal part of the team's success, and if the defense is going to be elite, the Steelers need their top defensive lineman.
“We’re excited, man,” Ramsey said. “We’ve got the potential to do something great if we’ve got all our guys out there happy and feeling like they’re valued.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers must find a quick resolution to Cam Heyward's contract drama
It's easy to see where both parties are coming from in the Cameron Heyward contract drama. At just $14.5 million in average annual earnings, Heyward's contract numbers are less than half of a player like Chris Jones ($31.75 million per year) while falling well short of players like Quinnen Williams, Derrick Brown, Alim McNeill, Nnamdi Madubuike, Zach Allen, and Milton Williams—each earning at last $24 million per season.
There's no question Heyward has earned more money than this. But there's a dilemma: Heyward signed a multi-year contract last offseason, and the Steelers are not inclined to give him a raise.
Omar Khan and the front office took a chance on signing a 35-year-old defensive lineman to a two-year contract worth $29 million. At the time, Heyward was dealing with a groin injury and earned just two sacks and three quarterback hits in 11 games.
Because Heyward grossly outplayed expectations in 2024, he's back at the negotiation table, but Khan has been unwilling to meet him there, and he's not interested in talking about it. Now players like Jalen Ramsey are running to the defense of their team captain—lobbying for Heyward to receive the money he's earned.
We expect this to come to a resolution at some point, and the Pittsburgh Steelers need to act fast to put this contract drama behind them.