A last-minute resolution has emerged in the case of Cameron Heyward and the Steelers. The All-Pro defensive lineman has agreed to a restructure. 
Specifically, the Steelers and Heyward worked out a compromise through incentives covering the 2025 season. Additional potential earnings have been added for the coming campaign, as first reported by Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Incentives worth $3.2MM tied to playoff games and wins are now in place.
Heyward was originally owed $14.25MM in total for the 2025 campaign. As a result of today’s agreement, he can top out at $18MM this year. The 15th-year veteran made it known this summer he was seeking a raise in the wake of a strong showing last season, and he suggested a regular season holdout could take place in the absence of a deal. Yesterday’s comments on the matter implied Heyward would face the choice of missing Sunday’s contest or playing on his existing pact, but that will no longer be the case.
The Steelers have a policy against negotiating extensions during the season and have historically avoided redoing deals with more than one year remaining. Heyward is on the books through 2026 as a result of last year’s extension, something which led to the expectation no agreement would be reached. The team has nevertheless managed to work out a short-term compromise which could see his compensation move closer to the top of the defensive tackle market.
Negotiations on a new contract last offseason proved to be a lengthy process, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms Heyward was giving serious thought to sitting out tomorrow’s game without a restructure of some kind being worked out. The seven-time Pro Bowler is now assured to be in place against the Jets in Week 1. Another highly productive season would help a Steelers defense which faces increased expectations based on the team’s busy offseason.
Heyward was limited to 11 games and just two sacks in 2023. He rebounded last year, though, playing every game and notching eight sacks. Those figures helped lead to the fourth first-team All-Pro nod of his career and increased his leverage in seeking a short-term bump in compensation. Even if Heyward reaches his $18MM ceiling in earnings for 2025, that will fall short of what 16 other defensive tackles average per year based on their current contracts.
Of course, at the age of 36, Heyward was not in a position to approach the top of the position’s market on a restructure or an agreement adding new years to his pact. The path to a marginal raise is now in place, however, and attention for team and player will turn to the regular season.