Cameron Heyward appears set to play his entire NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The longtime Steeler captain and former Ohio State defensive lineman signed a three-year contract extension with the team on Tuesday that keeps him with Pittsburgh through 2026, likely ensuring he will finish his career in black and gold.
“There are certain guys who are one-helmet guys, and I want to be one of those one-helmet guys,” Heyward, who is 35, said in a statement released by the Steelers in their announcement of his contract.
How unlikely! Yet here we are. Thanks @steelers pic.twitter.com/KZ3rNDhlbT
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) September 3, 2024
Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the three-year deal is worth $45 million with $29 million in new money and $16 million guaranteed.
Sources: The #Steelers and six-time Pro Bowl DE Cam Heyward have agreed to a three-year, $45M deal that includes $29 million in new money and $16 million fully guaranteed.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 3, 2024
Heyward, 35, who had $16M left on the final year of his previous deal, is now under contract through 2026, pic.twitter.com/Ca41KhT9sK
Heyward is entering his 14th NFL season with the Steelers, who drafted him in the first round in 2011. An All-Big Ten defensive end at Ohio State, Heyward has been one of the league’s top interior defensive linemen for the past decade, making six consecutive Pro Bowls from 2017-22.
While Heyward was limited to only 11 regular-season games last year due to injury, he continued to make a big impact as both a team leader for the Steelers and through giving back to the community, resulting in him earning the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award for the 2023 season.
With a new contract now in tow, Heyward will lead the Steelers into battle for their first game this weekend when they play the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday (1 p.m., FOX).
