Steeler for Life: Cam Heyward Signs 3-Year Contract Extension

The Pittsburgh Steelers and defensive captain Cam Heyward have reached an agreement on a two-year contract extension that will run through the end of the 2026 season, Heyward and the team both announced on social media on Tuesday. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN first reported the news.

The new contract will cover three seasons, from 2024 to 2026, for a total of $45 million. The Steelers will pay Heyward a guarantee of nearly $15 million, turning what he was already owed under his previous contract in 2024 salary into a signing bonus.

The contract calls for Heyward to earn $29 million over the two addition years, in 2025 and 2026, but none of that money is guaranteed.

The 35-year-old Heyward has said that he wants to play for two more seasons after this one, so the contract could very well run through the end of his playing career. That’s the outcome that both sides seemed to be looking for.

“The goal is to be a Steeler for the rest of my career,” Heyward said in June.

Pittsburgh Steelers DE Cam Heyward poses for a photo with HC Mike Tomlin, June 4, 2024 – Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

“I think Cam has a lot of football ahead of him,” general manager Omar Khan said in July. “I expect him to be here for years to come.”

Heyward is coming off his least-productive season in years, after injuries severely limited him in 2023. He underwent core muscle surgery after suffering a groin injury in the season opener. He missed six games, but was clearly far less than 100% after he returned. 

Heyward finished with two sacks, 33 tackles, six tackles for loss and three quarterback hits. It was his worst statistical season since 2016, when he was limited to seven games due to injury.

The team’s first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Heyward has played in 194 games over 13 seasons for the Steelers. He has recorded 647 tackles, 121 tackles for loss and 80.5 sacks, tied for second with James Harrison in the team’s all-time sacks leaderboard, and first among interior defensive linemen.

Heyward was named a team captain this week, as voted on by his teammates for the 10th consecutive season. He was also selected as the 2023 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year.