Steelers' Cam Heyward noncommittal to Pittsburgh after upcoming season

“First of all, it’s voluntary. Let’s get that straight. I’m working out, doing everything,” Heyward said on his podcast, Not Just Football. “I have always attended these, but at this time, it’s just contract negotiations. I want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler, but we’ll see what happens. You got to do what’s right for you. I’m training hard; there’s nothing I’m not doing on and off the field. I’m doing everything possible, and we’ll get there when we get there.”

Maybe some will wish he said that he can't envision himself in anything other than the black and gold, but Heyward has made it clear that he wants to play for two to three more years. 

He hopes that's in Pittsburgh, but he's not married to them past this season. 

“We’ve talked about an extension,” Heyward told Steelers Now last week. “We’ll see what happens. My goal is to play two to three more years. Mostly three. I’m looking for an opportunity. We’ll see what happens. I’d like it to be here, but my goal is to play. So we’ll see.”

In the interim, this doesn't mean much. Honestly, even if Heyward had his deal in place, I'm not sure he would be there. These activities are important, but they are voluntary for a reason, with veterans having done this song and dance for the majority of their careers. 

Heyward also happens to play defensive tackle, not QB, and is surrounded by a defensive line that returns the same starters, so he doesn't need to build comradery or rapport with teammates like Russell Wilson or Justin Fields do. 

“I believe it’s nothing,” former Steelers Super Bowl champion and analyst Ryan Clark said on ESPN last week. “It’s part of what happens when players get a little older. Get to the end of their contracts, and I’ll tell you a little story about Mike Tomlin. As I got up in age and also along with Troy, he would call us both on the same day. And he’d ask us what we would want to come to OTAs. And we’d both ask him the same question. Do you want us different weeks or together? And he’d normally go together and that’s when we would go. Coach Tomlin isn’t one of those people that forces people into OTAs.”

So don't confuse the absence with why the absence is occurring. The ball is in Pittsburgh's court here. They have two months until camp opens and Heyward is back and gearing up for 2024. 

Whether or not it's his last in Pittsburgh is up to the front office.