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Steelers Star Skipped Practice Days Before Season-Opener

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Evan Massey | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 3:57 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers are closing in on their season opener on the road against the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, it sounds like they could be forced to play that game without one of their star players.

Cam Heyward has been wanting a new contract for weeks now. Even after getting a new deal last offseason, he has been holding out from the team in order to get another.

With Week 1 right around the corner, Heyward is still holding out.

According to a report from ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, Heyward held out of practice on Thursday. This could turn into a holdout that carries over into the regular season.

"Steelers team captain Cam Heyward, who has wanted his contract adjusted this summer, was not in uniform today with the rest of the team and didn't appear to practice," Schefter wrote on X.

Steelers team captain Cam Heyward, who has wanted his contract adjusted this summer, was not in uniform today with the rest of the team and didn’t appear to practice. https://t.co/h7SZMAOUCI
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 4, 2025

Obviously, this would be a huge loss for the Steelers if they are forced to play without Heyward on the field. He has been a star for years now, but even more important has been the team's leader on the defensive side of the ball.

Last season in Pittsburgh, Heyward played in 17 games, racking up 71 total tackles to go along with eight sacks and 11 defended passes. That's about as disruptive as it can get from the defensive tackle position.

Only time will tell if Heyward actually does opt to miss the Jets game. Hopefully, it doesn't come to that and the 36-year-old star will decide to play with his teammates. While that's the hope, players don't usually hold out this long just to step on the field in Week 1 without a new deal.

It will be interesting to see what happens leading up to kickoff on Sunday. The Steelers and New York are scheduled to play at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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