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Like the Pittsburgh Steelers, defensive end Cameron Heyward finished the 2022 season very strongly.
But unlike the promising future the Steelers appear to possess, Heyward shared uncertain feelings about the 2023 season after the season finale on January 8.
“You never know if they want me back of not,” Heyward told the media after the 28-14 Steelers’ victory in Week 18. “I say it every year. I would like to be back, but you never know.
“There is the business side of things. NFL, not for long.”
These postgame comments from Heyward come as surprise. While Heyward will turn 34 years old in May, he just recorded his second straight double-digit sack season.
He also hasn’t missed a game since 2020 and is under contract for the next two seasons.
Heyward’s Contract Situation
It’s great that even as a superstar defender, Heyward doesn’t take anything for granted. But his postgame comments were still a little odd.
Heyward finished with 6.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hits in the last six games. In the final three weeks, Heyward had a pair of 2.0-sack games with 19 combined tackles, including 5 tackles for loss.
Those aren’t the stats of a player the Steelers won’t want back next season. Heyward also made it clear that he wants to be return in black and gold in 2023.
“I want to be back,” Heyward told the media. “I would like to be a Steeler, but you don’t know what’s going on in the future.”
The one thing we do know for certain, though, is that Heyward is under contract through the 2024 season. If the Steelers want to depart from the veteran defender, they will have to eat $12.8 million in salary cap space.
Spotrac reported Heyward will have about a $22 million cap hit each of the next two seasons. That’s a big cap hit for a player in his mid-30s, but again, with his strong finish, Heyward is as productive as ever. The Steelers also don’t figure to be heading into an offseason with salary cap issues, so they won’t need to release Heyward for cap relief.
If anything, the Steelers could look to restructure or extend Heyward’s contract. That could lower his cap hit for 2023 while keeping Heyward on the roster.
Potential Offseason Plans for Steelers Defense
Even before the season ended on January 8, there was speculation about what the Steelers might do in the upcoming offseason to improve defensively.
In total, the Steelers have eight defenders who are set to become unrestricted free agents in March.
The biggest question is what the Steelers are going to do to fix their secondary. The Steelers finished 19th in passing yards allowed per game, and they gave up a lot of long pass plays in 2022. Entering January 8, they were also just 26th in net yards allowed per pass this season.
Cornerback Cam Sutton and safety Terrell Edmunds played well at times this season and could return in 2023. But given the team’s below average numbers against the pass, changes are likely coming in some capacity to Pittsburgh’s secondary.
Inside linebacker is another position to watch for the Steelers in free agency. Former first-round pick Devin Bush was a disappointment in that spot and saw a decrease in playing time in the final few weeks of the season.
Heyward, though, doesn’t figure to be one of the team’s question marks. Despite his comments after the season finale, it would be shocking if he doesn’t return next season.
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