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Brooke Pryor
LATROBE, Pa. — Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward, amid a hold-in, strongly urged Monday he could be keen to overlook common season video games as he seeks to renegotiate a contract extension signed in 2024.
“There are undoubtedly choices on the market that might mirror that,” he mentioned in his first public feedback since ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Heyward’s hold-in and contract request final week.
He added: “My aim is to be out right here, and I do not know what is going on to occur. I’ve needed to be sincere with myself to be prepared for each choice. And has it gone the best way I needed to go? No. If it did, I’d be on the market taking part in and training, however I might prefer to put this within the rear-view mirror and fear about ball and fear about [the] New York Jets [in] Week 1.
Heyward, drafted No. 31 general by the Steelers in 2011, mentioned his formal request to renegotiate his contract dates again to February. He determined to start holding-in and never collaborating in camp practices late final week partly due to the state of negotiations.
“I am seeking to be valued. … I do know what I carry to this crew and what I am able to on and off the sector, so it is laborious for me, after the yr I’ve had, to actually justify taking part in on the quantity I am taking part in at.”
Cameron Heyward
“Cannot say I am not disenchanted in the place we’re at,” he mentioned. “I feel it is fairly easy with the way it could possibly be dealt with. There’s been reporting about the way it could possibly be achieved, however I simply want I might simply be on the market not having to fret about this.”
Heyward, 36, signed a two-year, $29 million extension with the Steelers in September 2024, placing him below contract by the 2026 season. Based on OverTheCap.com, Heyward’s $14.5 million common annual worth is ranked twenty third amongst all inside defensive linemen.
“I am seeking to be valued,” Heyward mentioned. “… I do know what I carry to this crew and what I am able to on and off the sector, so it is laborious for me, after the yr I’ve had, to actually justify taking part in on the quantity I am taking part in at.
“I perceive. I signed a contract final yr, however to be fully sincere with you, once I signed that, I advised him when I’ve an All-Professional yr anticipating me to return again and you may have a look at the contract and see what it was. However I feel everyone sort of giggled a little bit bit, however in my head, I used it as motivation to go on the market and show it.”
Heyward did simply that, incomes first-team All-Professional honors for a yr the place he performed in all 17 regular-season video games and picked up eight sacks, 20 quarterback hits and 71 mixed tackles. He was dominant on the line of scrimmage, too, main all defensive linemen with 11 passes defended.
As a part of the 2024 deal, Heyward obtained a $13.45 million assured roster bonus for 2025 to carry his complete compensation for the yr to $14.75 million. Heyward is ready to earn a $12.95 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the league yr in 2026 if he stays on the roster. Heyward’s contract would not have any assured cash past this season.
Heyward did not make his particular requests public, however when requested if he wish to restructure subsequent yr’s bonus into ensures for the 2025 season, Heyward mentioned that is one thing “comparable” to what he is serious about.
“It is not unprecedented,” he mentioned. “There’s been situations the place it is occurred earlier than, and it makes me sort of weary simply because it is not unprecedented, and I feel there’s a neater solution to get this achieved to nonetheless respect the Steelers and what they do and having tiers out of a contract, however we’ll see.”
Coming off an damage that shortened his 2023 season, Heyward mentioned he was requested to take a pay lower as a part of the 2024 extension. Heyward had been scheduled to make a $16 million base wage in 2024. By agreeing to the extension, he made $3.4 million much less in 2024 — $12.6 million with a $1.3 million base wage and a $11.3 signing bonus.
“In my eyes once I have a look at it, they may have lower me final yr,” he mentioned. “The best way I used to be approached, I used to be requested to take a pay lower, and we ended up getting a deal achieved. However once I have a look at the market, and I have a look at what I’ve achieved, it is laborious to actually wrap my head round taking part in at a quantity the place I am not even half of what the remainder of the market is.”
Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones is on the high of the inside line of defense market, making a mean of $31.75 million per yr with $95 million assured. Earlier this month, Denver Broncos defensive lineman Zach Allen, who turns 28 this month, signed a four-year, $102 million contract with $69.5 assured and a mean worth of $25.5 million.
Heyward mentioned he is continued to have conversations with basic supervisor Omar Khan, crew president and proprietor Artwork Rooney II and coach Mike Tomlin. After Monday’s observe, Tomlin dismissed considerations about Heyward’s future availability, saying, “not as I sit right here in the present day, no.”
“It is only a part of massive enterprise,” Tomlin mentioned of Heyward’s state of affairs. “It is not unique to us or to Cam. It is happening in a variety of areas. The beauty of it’s we have had good relations with Cam since he is been right here. He is been a heck of a Steeler. We talk formally and informally. I think about it will stay the identical, and we’ll discover a solution to see our approach by this stuff.”