If you bet on a big contract extension coming for the Pittsburgh Steelers before the start of the season, you were right. While many pointed to Pat Freiermuth being the player to earn his bag next, it was Cam Heyward who raked in the big bucks just before Week 1 of the 2024 season.
On September 3, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that Heyward inked a deal with the Steelers that will keep him in Pittsburgh through the 2026 season.
Sources: The #Steelers and six-time Pro Bowl DE Cam Heyward have agreed to a three-year, $45M deal that includes $29 million in new money and $16 million fully guaranteed.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 3, 2024
Heyward, 35, who had $16M left on the final year of his previous deal, is now under contract through 2026,… pic.twitter.com/Ca41KhT9sK
Heyward's extension is a three-year deal worth a total of $45 million. This includes $29 million in new money, $16 million fully guaranteed, and a signing bonus of $15 million. This puts Heyward's new annual earnings at $15 million per season.
While this average yearly number seems like a lot for an aging player, it put him outside of the top twenty interior defensive linemen in terms of money per year, according to Over the Cap.
Every fan should be on board with making Cam Heyward a Steeler for life
The best part about all of this is that Cam Heyward will almost certainly finish his career where it all started: in the great city of Pittsburgh. The Steelers' first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft isn't the same pass rusher he once was, but he's still capable of getting pressure on the quarterback and shutting down running lanes.
The Pittsburgh Steelers took this thing down to the wire, and the holdup likely had to do with Heyward's age and injury-riddled season in 2023. At 35 years old, it's safe to assume his best years are behind him, and Omar Khan knows the team will be paying for the player they will be getting at age 36 and beyond.
Heyward also missed six games early in the 2023 season with a groin injury. This put a dampener on his statistical production last season, as he recorded just two sacks and six tackles for a loss in 11 starts.
Anyone who watched him last season knows that Heyward is better than the numbers indicated. The Steelers value keeping their best players around for life, and fans can take comfort in knowing that their All-Pro defensive lineman and Walter Payton Man of the Year is never going to leave.
With business behind him, Heyward could focus on having a bounce-back year and getting the Steelers' defense back on track as one of the best units in the NFL.