The 31st pick of the 2011 NFL draft, Cameron Heyward, had his fifth year option exercised by the Pittsburgh Steelers today.
What does this mean? From the Steeler's official site:
For players selected from 11th to 32nd in the first round – Heyward was the 31st overall pick in 2011 – the salary for the option year is determined from the average of the top 25 highest-paid players at the same position, with the top three salaries excluded. Based on 2014 salaries for example, this average for defensive ends would be in the neighborhood of $7.5 million, but the numbers contributing to that average will change for 2015.
The Steelers' site also notes Heyward led all defensive linemen in "every significant statistical category" during the 2013 season.
Long story short, it's a good day to be Cam Heyward.
