Steelers’ Cam Heyward publicly blasts reporter for ‘slandering his name’

"That is a bald-faced lie. Gerry Dulac, just cuz I don’t answer your text doesn’t mean I don’t communicate with the team. You will not slander my name," Heyward wrote in response to the following report from Gerry Dulac:

Cam Heyward and the Steelers have talked about a potential contract extension, but the 14-year defensive end has added a little melodrama to the possibility when it really isn’t necessary.

Heyward used his podcast last week to say he was going to skip the offseason training activities that begin Tuesday if he didn’t receive a contract extension, a threat that probably did little more than raise an eyebrow at 3400 South Water Street for several reasons.

The Steelers have had a “discussion” with Heyward about a contract extension, but it has been nothing more than that, according to team sources. Heyward did not tell the Steelers about his threat to skip OTAs, preferring to announce it on his podcast, “Not Just Football.”
-Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post Gazette

An obvious he-said, she-said, situation, when the news was officially broken by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, he mentioned noting of Heyward informing the team or not. That's not to say Dulac doenst have his sources, as he is one the top Steelers beat reporters, and has been for decades. 

But that certainly doesn't seem like an action that Heyward would partake in, especially when Mike Tomlin told reporters just yesterday that he and Heyward spoke multiple times in the last few days. 

And even if he didn't tell the team, it's important to remember, none of this is mandatory:

“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.” 

We'll see where things go from here.