NFL Insider: Steelers "Very Well" May Have Given Cam Heyward Risky Ultimatum

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been on quite the rollercoaster throughout the 2025 season. There have been several moves made by the front office, and once the team made one final blockbuster trade at the end of June, acquiring Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins, all drama was set to be over. That didn't end up being the case when All-Pro defensive lineman, Cam Heyward, decided to hold-in for pretty much all of training camp as he searched for a new deal, despite being under contract through the 2026 campaign.

The Steelers have pretty much never folded to someone in Heyward's position. Not only is he 36 years old, but he just signed a new extension during the 2024 offseason. After playing under those terms for just one year, coming back to ask for some kind of restructure is not something that Pittsburgh would typically be interested in.

During a recent appearance on Pardon My Take, NFL insider Mike Florio was discussing the hold-in situations from both Micah Parsons and Terry McLaurin. While going on a rant about why hold-ins eventually have to be resolved, he threw in a little nugget about Heyward and the Steelers, suggesting that Pittsburgh pretty much let Heyward know that any off-the-field funny business was over, and that it was time to get ready for the regular season.

"If you hold out, that puts maximum pressure on the team to get it done," Florio stated. "If you're there, if you're at work, at some point, it's time to go to work. Now, [McLaurin's] citing an injury and one of these days a team is going to challenge as to whether or not he's actually got that injury, but that's the safest way to avoid the potential blow-up between player and team, where the team just says, like the Steelers very well may have said to the Cam Heyward last week, 'Wait, look, it's time to get ready for Week 1.'"

If it did shape out this way, it's possible that Heyward could have felt disrespected and not appreciate how the team decided to handle his hold-in. Instead, Heyward returned to practice without any internal discussions being leaked or shared externally. Florio could be spot on, however, as the organization may have told the veteran defensive lineman that nothing was happening in 2025 regarding his contract.

It is certainly a good thing that the Steelers seem to no longer have any issues when it comes to contractual conflicts. Chris Boswell also ended his hold-in after he kicked in the preseason, so it appears as if Pittsburgh has nothing to worry about, and should have all of its keys pieces when the regular season kicks on. If the front office did, in fact, give Heyward an ultimatum, it was a risky move that, on the surface, seems to have paid off.

The Steelers need Heyward to have an effective defense in 2025. He is not just a team captain, but one of the most formidable lineman in all of football. He has seemed to find ways to defy Father Time, but everything good comes to an end at some point. This is likely why the franchise did not want to talk about his contract as he approaches the age of 37.

Steelers Remain Hopeful That Heyward Will Retire In The Black And Gold

Depending on how Heyward's 2025 campaign goes, he could be looking for an extra year on his contract in the 2026 offseason. It's possible that this is something that Pittsburgh would entertain, but a lot of factors will play into it. It's safe to say, however, that the fan base and organization as a whole want to see him retire one day as a one-helmet player. Daring him to end his hold-in would have been risky, if it happened, but one thing for sure is that everyone is happy Heyward is back on the field.

Do you think that the Steelers gave Heyward an ultimatum? Let us know in the comments below!

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