Insider Speculates That Steelers And Cam Heyward Have Secret Agreement In Place

After the Pittsburgh Steelers made the decision to trade for both Jonnu Smith and Jalen Ramsey in a deal with the Miami Dolphins, many believed news would settle down in the Steel City. That has been far from the truth after a report suggested that veteran defensive lineman Cam Heyward was unhappy with his contract situation. The former Walter Payton Man of the Year was holding-in for the majority of training camp, only to return quite recently to practicing with his teammates. It is expected that he will be out on the field for the team's Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets.

The Steelers do not negotiate contracts in the middle of any given season, so it would appear that Pittsburgh and Heyward's camp are running out of time to give him a raise for the 2025 campaign. It would be unconventional for the organization to come to an agreement with Heyward, specifically because the franchise has often stayed away from negotiating when a player has two or more years left on his current deal.

After several weeks of holding-in, it was interesting that Heyward joined his teammates back at practice. Some believed this was the end of the situation, but respected team insider Mark Kaboly has another theory. On an episode of Steel Here, the reporter mentioned that there could be something going on behind the scenes that no one really knows about.

"My thought is, if he's out there participating fully in practice, something has to have been said or guaranteed to him, or promised to him so far," Kaboly said. "Maybe it's not on paper quite yet, a handshake, just like the Aaron Rodgers [situation] because if not, why would he go out there? He still had two to three weeks to be able to play out to get the money he wants."

It's a very fair assessment from Kaboly. Heyward had no reason to return to practice unless he was giving up on his hold-in, or the team told him something would get done. It makes sense to buy into the latter, considering the veteran said on his own podcast that he was not sure if he would be suiting up in Week 1 or not. The organization could already have set up the framework for a re-worked deal.

The Steelers' defense would be quite lost on the interior without Heyward in the fold. Rookie Derrick Harmon is battling an injury that will keep him on the sidelines against the Jets, so if Heyward doesn't get a deal and sat out, Pittsburgh would be in some rough shape when it comes to stopping the run. The lineman is likely to be a future Hall of Famer, so it would make sense for the franchise to hash this out before it's too late.

While the organization doesn't typically operate in a fashion that caves to player demands, Heyward may have a little bit more respect than any other individual that has attempted to pull something like this off. He knows that he is nearing the end of his career, and is attempting to secure a little more money because he feels as if he is still one of the best interior defenders in the NFL. In 2024, he surely played like he was.

Steelers Can't Afford To Have Heyward On The Sidelines

No one is quite sure how far Heyward is willing to go when it comes to inking a new deal. He could have returned to practice because he gave up on the possibility, but it's surely feels more possible that Kaboly is onto something. The veteran is back on the field with his teammates because the franchise respects him and promised that everything would be worked out before kickoff in Week 1.

Do you think that the Steelers will give Heyward a new contract? Let us know in the comments below!

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