Cameron Heyward's new extension will silence even the harshest Steelers critics

The Steelers inked longtime defensive lineman Cameron Heyward to a new deal last night, and it has sent the fanbase into a frenzy. The team announced that they had agreed to terms on a new three-year deal that will pay Heyward $45 million over the life of the deal. Specifics of the deal haven’t been disclosed as of this writing.

No matter what way you want to spin this, this is an amazing deal for the Steelers, and Heyward took a rare hometown discount to remain with the team that drafted him for his entire career.

From the money involved to the guarantees, this deal is a home run for the organization, and this contract has zero downside.

Why the Cam Heyward deal is amazing for the Steelers

We all know who Heyward is as a player. He developed into one of the best defensive linemen in team history. Beyond just his steady play, he is a great leader in the locker room and is an equally great humanitarian, winning the Walter Payton Man of the Year award last season. His 2023 season was marred by injury, leading to his worst sack production since his first two seasons, but he was still a capable run defender.

The deal in question is cheap for a defensive lineman. I’ve seen far too many fans come out against the financials of the deal, but that is silly in the current market. Heyward took a small yearly pay cut to ink this deal, and his new yearly average rivals that of Arik Armstead and Zach Allen.

Those two combined have roughly half the sacks that Heyward has in his career, and I would argue that he is the best player of the three despite his age. His contract, essentially, is paying him like a low-end starting lineman contributing five or so sacks, something Heyward seems more than capable of.

The deal also lacks guaranteed money. They converted his previous salary into a signing bonus, as is customary when the team does new deals, but beyond that, this is a prove-it deal. As long as he doesn’t fall off a cliff, at the current salary, he should remain on the roster.

Frankly, I think Heyward was extremely generous to the Steelers. His deal is paying him outside of the top 20 defensive linemen. I figured he was gunning for some more money to slightly increase his pay rankings, but clearly, that wasn’t a sticking point.

What this deal means is that Heyward will be able to play until he can’t anymore. The best-case scenario is that he maintains a good level of production over the length of the deal, wraps up a Hall of Fame career, and mentors a replacement in the next draft or two. The worst case is, if his performance declines rapidly this season, you cut bait with him with little ramifications.

If you are against this deal in any way, please reevaluate your opinion. He took a slight pay cut to remain with the team, is being paid among players who aren’t at his level, and took a deal that forces him to prove his worth every year. There is no downside here, and it keeps a Pittsburgh great on the roster for the length of his career.