The Pittsburgh Steelers and star defensive lineman Cameron Heyward are in the midst of a contract dispute and in the opinion of one NFL insider, the team doesn't appear to be keen on paying him.
Heyward was quietly holding in during training camp before news of the situation broke last week. Heyward feels he's worth more than the money he's making this season, and he has a strong argument to support his case.
ESPN's Adam Schefter weighed-in on the situation on Tuesday and said "it doesn't seem like the Steelers want to pay" the seven-time Pro Bowler.
“One of the most respected players in the league, is a Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. And he wants to cash in now because he knows, frankly, that there aren’t many years left in his career,” Schefter said of Heyward.
“And I think you add in this: Pittsburgh, this offseason, has gone out of its way to take care of any number of players from outside and inside the organization. DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey, [Jonnu] Smith, Darius Slay, and of course, T.J. Watt. So all these players that have had nothing to do with Pittsburgh’s prior success got paid.
“T.J. Watt got paid. And here’s a player who feels like he’s meant an awful lot to this team who hasn’t gotten paid," Schefter added on Heyward. "And the two sides have not bridged any of their differences. And it doesn’t seem like the Steelers want to pay him right now.”
Heyward looked like he might be on the decline in 2023, but he erased that notion in 2024 by delivering a bounce-back season en route to his seventh Pro Bowl.
The Steelers extended his contract in 2024, but Heyward ranks 22nd among interior defensive linemen in terms of annual average. We know he's still better than the 22nd interior defender in the league, so his gripe in legitimate.
Adding to that, as Schefter pointed out, the Steelers shelling out a ton of money for other players this offseason likely only fueled Heyward's desire for a raise further.
While Schefter appears to just be speculating, it's fair to think Pittsburgh isn't keen on paying Heyward or else this situation wouldn't have dragged on as long as it has.
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