Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro defensive tackle Cam Heyward refuted a report by Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he never mentioned directly to the Steelers that he planned on skipping OTAs while negotiating a contract extension with the club. Dulac suggested that Heyward preferred to reveal the news on his Not Just Football podcast.
“That is a bold face lie. @gerrydulac just cuz I don’t answer your text doesn’t mean I don’t communicate with the team. You will not slander my name,” Heyward wrote on X.
Plenty of players have skipped OTAs in the past, as they really don’t mean much for veterans. Heyward made sure to explain his side of the entire saga.
“First of all, it’s voluntary. Let’s get that straight. I’m working out, doing everything,” Heyward said on Not Just Football. “I have always attended these, but at this time, it’s just contract negotiations. I want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler, but we’ll see what happens. You got to do what’s right for you. I’m training hard; there’s nothing I’m not doing on and off the field. I’m doing everything possible, and we’ll get there when we get there.”
Heyward, who turned 35 earlier this month, is entering the final season of a four-year, $65 million contract that is set to pay him $16 million in 2024. Heyward said he’d like to play for a few more seasons, and hopes to be able to remain in Pittsburgh through the end of his career.
RELATED: Will Cam Heyward Get an Extension from the Steelers?
“We’ve talked about an extension,” Heyward said to Steelers Now at a community event on May 11. “We’ll see what happens. My goal is to play two to three more years. Mostly three. I’m looking for an opportunity. We’ll see what happens. I’d like it to be here, but my goal is to play. So we’ll see.”
Heyward previously stated on his Not Just Football podcast that he will not take a pay cut to help clear cap space for the Steelers. A contract extension is another avenue to free up money and keep Heyward in Pittsburgh for additional years.
“I bust my butt in rehab, doing everything,” Heyward said on his podcast, Not Just Football, in January. “I got to let things calm down. Screw the people who keep talking about me getting a pay cut.”