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Steelers Overcome Contract Dispute As Deal Is Agreed To With Cam Heyward

Originally posted on Steeler Nation | By Brogan Noey | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 8:40 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been enthralled in contract drama throughout the 2025 offseason. At first it seemed like the only contract issue that had to be figured out was with star outside linebacker TJ Watt. He was entering the final season of his deal in 2025, and eventually agreed to an extension that made him one of the highest-paid non-quarterbacks in the NFL. The contract drama was thought to be over after that deal was signed, but it was reported that both Chris Boswell and Cam Heyward were each unhappy with their current deals.

Heyward's deal specifically has been the bigger issue for Pittsburgh. His status for the Steelers Week 1 matchup with the New York Jets seemed to be up in the air as it was unclear whether or not he would play without a bump in his pay for the 2025 season. Thankfully, the organization and Heyward were able to come to an agreement to get the star defender some more money, and he will be out on the field on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

The #Steelers did right by their All-Pro, agreeing to sweeten DL Cam Heyward’s contract for 2025, per The Insiders.

He gets more than $3M in incentives tied to playoffs and playoff wins for $18M max in a deal done by Michael Perrett of @PrioritySports. Oh & Heyward will play. pic.twitter.com/RZGA0ZHGCa
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 7, 2025

Prior to this new agreement, Heyward was not paid like the All-Pro defensive tackle that he is. That isn't Pittsburgh's fault though, Heyward and his representatives agreed to a new contract extension prior to the 2024 season. His team could have insisted that certain incentives were placed in the contract, or fought for more money based on the way the market at defensive tackle was trending. His agents let him down, which is why this whole fiasco happened in the first place.

Steelers' Cam Heyward Has Been Professional Throughout Contract Dispute

The defensive captain for Pittsburgh held-in for most of training camp, which didn't really seem like a big deal as he would have gotten a lot of rest days as a veteran anyway. He is a player who might not need practice for anything other than conditioning and staying in shape, so the coaching didn't have to worry about him missing some practices while he figured out his contract situation with the front office.

While the contract dispute might have seemed like a distraction for the fan base, many players have come out and said that it was not. Heyward was still present at practice and in meetings, and he was always helping the other guys out when it came to their technique and what to do in certain scenarios.

Thankfully, Heyward was able to get a new deal and the contract dispute can be put to rest. Hopefully he is able to build on the success of the 2024 season where he was an All-Pro.

This article first appeared on SteelerNation.com and was syndicated with permission.

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