The Pittsburgh Steelers will not have star defensive lineman Cam Heyward during OTAs this year.
Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Heyward will miss OTAs for the first time as he seeks a new contract.
Some fans will be concerned about this but it likely won’t be that big of a deal. He’s been a Steeler for 13 seasons and knows what it takes to win.
The Steelers also know what he means to them and has never caused any problems during his tenure. He’s entering the final year of his contract and is set to count $22.4 million against the salary cap for this year.
Heyward appeared in 11 games during the 2023 season, finishing with 33 total tackles, two sacks, and one pass defended. In 2022, he appeared in all 17 games and racked up 74 total tackles, 10.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and four passes defended.
Throughout his career, he has compiled 647 total tackles, 80.5 sacks, eight forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, and 47 passes defended.
He’s likely looking for his final NFL contract since he’s 35 and has been in the NFL since 2011.
The Steelers finished the 2023 season with a 10-7 record before losing in the playoffs to the Buffalo Bills.