Cam Heyward Deserves a Contract Extension

Cam Heyward deserves an extension and to finish his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Nov 2, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward watches / Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are already making moves for 2025 and beyond. Reporter Mark Kaboly recently stated that the Steelers and defensive leader Cam Heyward could agree on a new contract in the coming months. It would most likely be the final contract of Heyward’s career, as he enters his age 35 season.

If the speculation proves to be true, the Steelers and Heyward are looking at a multi-year extension that would ensure the future Hall of Famer ends his career in Pittsburgh. It’s a move that not only makes sense, but needs to happen.

MORE: Cam Heyward Holding Out During Contract Talks

The Steelers want to win a Super Bowl in the next few seasons. Every decision they have made over the last six months is in pursuit of that goal. The result is they seem to be in a solid position to do so with the regular season still a few months away. With more moves needed, locking up the captain of their defense and leading voice in the locker room is a critical move to push them even closer to their goal.

If you want to win, you need a player to anchor your defensive line. The Steelers have that in Cam Heyward, who is still a top-10 defensive lineman in the NFL. Over the last decade, he has amassed 73 sacks and 109 tackles for loss. And it’s not because he dominated early on and now just floats in and out. He's been an elite defensive lineman since 2017 specifically, racking up national acclaim and accolades to boot. Since 2017, he's earned three First-Team All-Pro honors and six Pro Bowl selections. An injury-riddled 2023 aside, he has 10 or more sacks in two of his last three seasons as well, continuing his impressive play into the later years of his career.

When you have a player that means just as much to an organization on and off the field as Cam Heyward does, you keep them around. Heyward is the reigning Walter Payton Man of the Year in the NFL, an honor recognizing his outstanding service to the community of Pittsburgh. His foundation, the The Cameron Heyward Foundation, is geared towards helping children in a variety of ways. He and the foundation have become an integral part of Pittsburgh since the foundation's beginnings in 2015, and it's work that Cam is clearly as passionate about as he is on the football field. He is an excellent ambassador for the Steelers, the NFL, and the city of Pittsburgh.

Cam Heyward deserves to have his career end on his terms. After multiple First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections and his positive impacts on the community, he’s earned that and more in his career. The Steelers and the city of Pittsburgh need to have Heyward around for the foreseeable future and need to pay fairly for it.

This doesn’t mean the Steelers have to offer a charity case to one of the organization's best defensive linemen. Rather, this could put the Steelers in an advantageous position. Going into this season, Heyward will count more than $20 million against the cap. Working out an extension will surely cost them less than that number over the next few years, even if the actual money paid out is still along those lines. With an extra year or two on the deal, the Steelers can lower the cap hit for Cam and give themselves more wiggle room to supplement the team around him.

The Steelers have to continue to bolster the roster and worry about the upcoming season, but this is a developing story as we get closer to 2025. Cam Heyward's play has earned him an extension in Pittsburgh, but his efforts off the field are what make it so easy to see he needs another contract with the Steelers.

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