Who’s the longest-tenured player on the Pittsburgh Steelers today? The answer is Cameron Heyward, who’s been leading Steelers Nation for 14 years, ever since he became the 31st overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
But Heyward, who’s now 35 years old, is entering the final year of his contract. He’s not seeking a raise, but the three-time All-Pro defensive lineman would like more financial security in the form of a contract extension. Yet, the Steelers, to this point, haven’t budged, and now the player who ranks second in franchise history with 80.5 career sacks is threatening to play elsewhere next season.
“I have talked to my wife (Allie), and we know the reality, and we have had those talks, and she said it could be fun to play somewhere else. If that is what is needed to be done, then so be it. But I am still enjoying the ride here this year.”
“I still have family in Cleveland … my wife is from Cleveland. We will see. I am not trying to think about all that right now.”
Cameron Heyward on his future with Pittsburgh Steelers
He’s skipped all offseason workouts, aside from the final week of OTAs, which were only voluntary. But it’s an indication that, above all else, Heyward wants to be a Steeler.
Heyward is set to make a base salary of $16 million this season and a cap hit of $22 million. An extension could lower that number if Pittsburgh’s interested, but maybe they’d prefer to keep their future cap sheet clean and just take the cap hit now. So far, that appears to be the case, but we’ve seen how quickly plans can change.
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