Pittsburgh Steelers four-time All-Pro defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, who’s seeking a raise in a defensive market that has experienced a reset this offseason, hasn’t fully participated in practice yet this summer as he awaits a restructured contract that has not gotten done, sources told ESPN on Thursday.
He has two years remaining on his contract — $14.75 million this season, with $13.45 million of that already having been earned as a roster bonus that will be paid out over the course of the season, and $14.5 million in 2026.
Heyward currently is scheduled to be the NFL’s 36th-highest-paid defensive lineman this season, and its 18th-highest-paid defensive tackle.
Heyward and the Steelers have addressed this privately, sources said, but they have not made any progress on a reworked deal. In the meantime, he has not been a full participant in training camp.
The 36-year-old Heyward, a longtime Steelers captain, was voted All-Pro for the fourth time in 2024 — making him the first defensive lineman over the age of 35 to be voted All Pro since Bruce Smith in 1998.
The Steelers have been on an uncharacteristic spending spree this offseason, beginning with the trade for wide receiver DK Metcalf, who then got a four-year, $132 million extension from Pittsburgh.
Most recently, the Steelers extended All-Pro edge rusher T.J. Watt, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history with a three-year, $123 million extension that came with $108 million guaranteed.
In addition to signing Aaron Rodgers to a one-year, $13 million deal, the Steelers also traded for Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith. The team gave a $1.5 million raise to Ramsey to bring his 2025 compensation to $26.6 million, while Smith inked a one-year, $12 million extension with the Steelers.
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor contributed to this report.
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