Five-time All-Pro defensive tackle Cameron Heyward remains out of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp amid ongoing contract negotiations, and two of his teammates stood by his side, calling for the front office to meet his demands and pave the way for his return. Cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay voiced their desires to get Heyward back on the field -- on the condition that he plays on the contract he deserves.
This is the second time in as many offseasons that Heyward sat out of practice during negotiations. Last year, it resulted in him signing a three-year deal. This year, it remains unclear what he and the Steelers will agree upon.
"We can't wait to be on that field with you Week 1 after everything goes down, everything gets situated," Ramsey said on Heyward's podcast, Not Just Football. "We need all of y'all out there, man. I got a lot of respect for you, Mr. Omar. You've taken care of me, T.J. (Watt), Slay. Cam is next. We excited, man. We've got potential to do something great if we've got all our guys out there happy and feeling like they're valued."
Steelers' Cam Heyward addresses his contract hold-in: 'It's hard for me to justify the number I'm playing at'
Bryan DeArdo
Heyward has two years remaining on the contract he signed last summer and is set to make $14.75 million this year and $14.5 million in 2025. A flurry of high-profile signings this offseason reset the defensive market, and he is already in search of an amended contract to reflect his value in the new landscape.
"We need you out there, like, now," Slay said on the podcast. "Tell them to stop playing right now."
With the regular season less than a month away, the clock is ticking on the negotiation process. It took until September last year for Heyward and the Steelers to reach an agreement, and the 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year said he is prepared to sit out into the regular season if that is what it takes to get a new deal done.
"Honestly, I'd love to be valued," Heyward said this week. "I know what I bring to this team and what I'm capable of, on and off the field. So, it's hard for me to, after the year I've had, to really justify playing at the number I'm playing at."
Working in Heyward's favor is the fact that he produced a first-team All-Pro season in the first year of his current deal. He backed up his demands last fall with one of the best years of his career, matching his personal best with 36 tackles and amassing eight sacks. He also batted down a career-best 11 passes.
