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Defensive end Cameron Heyward has been a lot of things with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s been a four-time All-Pro including three-time first-team All-Pro. He’s also been a six-time Pro Bowler. For the 2023 season, he won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
But heading into the 2024 NFL season, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon referred to Heyward as overpaid. In fact, Gagnon labeled the defensive end the most overpaid player currently on the Steelers roster.
“You can sense a pretty clear drop-off in the six-time Pro Bowler’s impact dating back to 2021, which makes sense considering he’s now 34,” Gagnon wrote. “In 2024, though, he’ll still command $22.4 million in the final season of a four-year, $65.6 million deal.”
With his $22.4 million cap hit, Heyward is Pittsburgh’s second-most expensive player for the 2024 season. Only edge rusher T.J. Watt will have a higher cap hit.
Cameron Heyward Has One Season Left on 4-Year Contract
Heyward signed his $65.6 million extension with one year remaining on his previous deal before the 2020 season. At the time, Heyward was coming off a first-team All-Pro campaign.
But also at the time, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reported that the $65.6 million extension meant that Heyward would hold the highest average annual salary for a defensive player older than 30 in NFL history.
Initially, Heyward was worth the value of the deal. He made second-team All-Pro in 2020 and then first-team All-Pro again in 2021. He wasn’t quite as dominant during 2022, but he still had 10.5 sacks and made the Pro Bowl.
But in 2023, Heyward dealt with a groin issue the entire season. The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly reported Heyward’s groin was bothering him on the first day of training camp. Then he tore the groin off the bone in Week 1.
Heyward underwent surgery and squeezed a 12-week rehab process into seven and a half weeks. But when he returned, he wasn’t the same player.
In 11 games, Heyward finished the 2023 season with 2 sacks, 6 tackles for loss and 3 quarterback hits. He hadn’t had fewer than 3 sacks in a season since 2012.
Heyward will turn 35 in May. At his age, a complete rebound from injury is less likely. It’s also more probable that he suffers another significant ailment.
Could the Steelers Restructure Heyward’s Contract?
With his disappointing 2023 season, speculation grew that Heyward could retire this offseason. But the veteran defensive end threw cold water on that idea.
Instead, he stressed the need for himself to get healthy. He tried to reassure his fans that he will be healthy in 2024, posting photos on social media of his February surgery.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac argued that Heyward would have to take a pay cut to remain on the Steelers for the 2024 season. Otherwise, the Steelers could release Heyward and save $16 million against the salary cap.
Another idea floated in the media was the potential to extend Heyward another contract. That would lower his cap hit for the 2024 season.
But no change has yet come to Heyward’s contract.
Kaboly argued that team president Art Rooney II views Heyward as one of the franchise’s all-time greats, and for that reason, the Steelers will not consider cutting Heyward. Given that he just won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, the most hyped individual achievement in the league, that’s the right decision from a PR perspective.
But the fact the Steelers haven’t extended Heyward a new deal to lower his 2024 cap hit is probably an indication the team isn’t sure he will have anything left to offer past his age-35 season.
For the time being, the Steelers appear to have accepted the fact Heyward will be overpaid for the 2024 season.
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