Heyward Extended

[CKSteeler]

3 years, $45 million with 29 million in new money and 16 fully guaranteed.

I have to believe Art II's fingerprints are on this one.

[Still Diesel]

Hopefully they get something done with Frieiermuth because he could have a big year in Smith’s offense which would drive up his price.

[daikyu]

Seems like nothing new here. He was going to make 16 this year anyway. Now it is guaranteed, which it would be come the start of the game on Sunday.

The team could then release him after this year with no cap hit or he could retire.

[bradshaw2ben]

Hopefully they get something done with Frieiermuth because he could have a big year in Smith’s offense which would drive up his price.

I totally disagree. Sign Hayden Hurst or Gesiecki in the off-season to be your field stretcher and try using Washington more in the RZ. if you can re-sign PF for cheap, then that's fine, but I can't imagine there's a big market for him.

[gojira5150]

Seems like nothing new here. He was going to make 16 this year anyway. Now it is guaranteed, which it would be come the start of the game on Sunday.

The team could then release him after this year with no cap hit or he could retire.

I don't understand how this works. They could have just let him walk next year but they sign him to a Stupid Ass extension. If they still let him walk after this season, wouldn't they owe him the rest of the extension.

Why extend him at all. This dude has done absolutely nothing come play-off time.

[K_C_]

No to a Freiermuth extension until he actually proves he can stay on the field.

The Heyward "extension" is great work by Khan.

If he sucks this season, he'll be encouraged to retire or he'll be released.

Absolutely no new guaranteed money, as it should be.

[Ice]

Hopefully they get something done with Frieiermuth because he could have a big year in Smith’s offense which would drive up his price.

I totally disagree. Sign Hayden Hurst or Gesiecki in the off-season to be your field stretcher and try using Washington more in the RZ. if you can re-sign PF for cheap, then that's fine, but I can't imagine there's a big market for him.

Only one of those options works. Yinzers could definitely yell Huuuuuuuurst.

Nice work on a face-saving "extension" for Heyward that doesn't really hurt the team at all going forward if He of the Special Patch doesn't pan out.

[W&M_Steeler]

Seems like nothing new here. He was going to make 16 this year anyway. Now it is guaranteed, which it would be come the start of the game on Sunday.

The team could then release him after this year with no cap hit or he could retire.

I don't understand how this works. They could have just let him walk next year but they sign him to a Stupid Ass extension. If they still let him walk after this season, wouldn't they owe him the rest of the extension.

Why extend him at all. This dude has done absolutely nothing come play-off time.

Agreed. Cam "Mr. October" Heyward gets one last payday. I doubt the Steelers cut him after this year- he'll get at least one of his additional years. Too bad, as I can't think of a more overrated Steeler in the past 25 years, and he's close to finished.

[RemoAZ]

Seems like nothing new here. He was going to make 16 this year anyway. Now it is guaranteed, which it would be come the start of the game on Sunday.

The team could then release him after this year with no cap hit or he could retire.

I don't understand how this works. They could have just let him walk next year but they sign him to a Stupid Ass extension. If they still let him walk after this season, wouldn't they owe him the rest of the extension.

Why extend him at all. This dude has done absolutely nothing come play-off time.

Agreed. Cam "Mr. October" Heyward gets one last payday. I doubt the Steelers cut him after this year- he'll get at least one of his additional years. Too bad, as I can't think of a more overrated Steeler in the past 25 years, and he's close to finished.

The idiocy of the organization continues to baffle the mind. Throw in the fact that they have way too much cap committed to the defensive side in an OFFENSE DRIVEN league. I'd like to think this was just to appease him and he'll be cut after the season but I doubt they are that smart. I also expect him to miss 6 or 7 games. He's at that age.

[punum123]

Corporate welfare.

[PennyBacker]

People who would not consider a healthy and motivated Cam Heyward an asset to the defense are delusional.

The guy played on one leg last season, and still played alright.

[W&M_Steeler]

People who would not consider a healthy and motivated Cam Heyward an asset to the defense are delusional.

The guy played on one leg last season, and still played alright.

Cam is the face of the 2010s playoff defensive collapses, which is why so many of us are fed up with him. The Steelers have won a single playoff game in which he played (2015 Wild Card against the Bengals). The best playoff run of his career- 2016, when the Steelers made the AFCC Game- Cam missed the entire playoffs with injury.

Cam's been totally inconsequential in basically every playoff game in which he's played, yet he says he's a Hall of Famer. He certainly didn't give a Hall of Fame performance in 2017 against the Jags, or in 2020 against Browns back-ups, or in the various other playoff losses in which he did basically nothing. He's objectively a better regular season player than Brett Keisel, but Brett thrived in the playoffs while Cam disappeared. No one is arguing Keisel should be inducted into the HoF, but I'd take Brett's career over Cam's anyday.

Given that background, I, and many others, don't really have many fond memories of Cam and find his entitlement to be annoying. I'm reasonably sure Cam will contribute to maintaining NHALS this year, though, so at least we have that to look forward to

[gojira5150]

People who would not consider a healthy and motivated Cam Heyward an asset to the defense are delusional.

The guy played on one leg last season, and still played alright.

Cam is the face of the 2010s playoff defensive collapses, which is why so many of us are fed up with him. The Steelers have won a single playoff game in which he played (2015 Wild Card against the Bengals). The best playoff run of his career- 2016, when the Steelers made the AFCC Game- Cam missed the entire playoffs with injury.

Cam's been totally inconsequential in basically every playoff game in which he's played, yet he says he's a Hall of Famer. He certainly didn't give a Hall of Fame performance in 2017 against the Jags, or in 2020 against Browns back-ups, or in the various other playoff losses in which he did basically nothing. He's objectively a better regular season player than Brett Keisel, but Brett thrived in the playoffs while Cam disappeared. No one is arguing Keisel should be inducted into the HoF, but I'd take Brett's career over Cam's anyday.

Given that background, I, and many others, don't really have many fond memories of Cam and find his entitlement to be annoying. I'm reasonably sure Cam will contribute to maintaining NHALS this year, though, so at least we have that to look forward to

This right here. Cam has done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING when it mattered most. Couldn't get Leonard F. off the field in that embarrassing loss to BLAKE EFFING BORTTLES!!! He couldn't inspire the Defense to make 1 stop on 3rd down. He couldn't break thru the line and make one important stop. HE'S not Aaron Donald. I'm sick of this dude. Time to move on from him.

[RemoAZ]

People who would not consider a healthy and motivated Cam Heyward an asset to the defense are delusional.

The guy played on one leg last season, and still played alright.

Cam is the face of the 2010s playoff defensive collapses, which is why so many of us are fed up with him. The Steelers have won a single playoff game in which he played (2015 Wild Card against the Bengals). The best playoff run of his career- 2016, when the Steelers made the AFCC Game- Cam missed the entire playoffs with injury.

Cam's been totally inconsequential in basically every playoff game in which he's played, yet he says he's a Hall of Famer. He certainly didn't give a Hall of Fame performance in 2017 against the Jags, or in 2020 against Browns back-ups, or in the various other playoff losses in which he did basically nothing. He's objectively a better regular season player than Brett Keisel, but Brett thrived in the playoffs while Cam disappeared. No one is arguing Keisel should be inducted into the HoF, but I'd take Brett's career over Cam's anyday.

Given that background, I, and many others, don't really have many fond memories of Cam and find his entitlement to be annoying. I'm reasonably sure Cam will contribute to maintaining NHALS this year, though, so at least we have that to look forward to

This right here. Cam has done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING when it mattered most. Couldn't get Leonard F. off the field in that embarrassing loss to BLAKE EFFING BORTTLES!!! He couldn't inspire the Defense to make 1 stop on 3rd down. He couldn't break thru the line and make one important stop. HE'S not Aaron Donald. I'm sick of this dude. Time to move on from him.

And he's a "captain" that rubber stamps everything Tomlin does. A good leader would have spoken out about the lack of playoff success. Not Cam. He only speaks out about how much he deserves a new contract.

[CKSteeler]

Cam was very vocal about Tomlin being his head coach last year, too. Don't forget that.

That he talks about being a HOF'er just shows the in-love-with-the-smell-of-your-own-shit mentality that permeates the entire franchise.

[JackLambert58]

3 years, $45 million with 29 million in new money and 16 fully guaranteed.

I have to believe Art II's fingerprints are on this one.

B2B called it. SMH

[K_C_]

3 years, $45 million with 29 million in new money and 16 fully guaranteed.

I have to believe Art II's fingerprints are on this one.

B2B called it. SMH

If Heyward blows or is injured, he literally will see no new money from this deal.

[CKSteeler]

3 years, $45 million with 29 million in new money and 16 fully guaranteed.

I have to believe Art II's fingerprints are on this one.

B2B called it. SMH

If Heyward blows or is injured, he literally will see no new money from this deal.

The guy should have been asked to take a paycut after last season. Instead, his entire salary for the year was guaranteed and he had two years tacked onto it. The last version of Cameron Heyward we saw on the field was not worth $16 million a year.

It sounds great on paper to say they can cut him with no dead money. But how bad does Heyward have to be for this organization to actually move on? If he's just good enough, the guy gets to keep his salary making him one of the highest paid players on the team.

[W&M_Steeler]

B2B called it. SMH

If Heyward blows or is injured, he literally will see no new money from this deal.

The guy should have been asked to take a paycut after last season. Instead, his entire salary for the year was guaranteed and he had two years tacked onto it. The last version of Cameron Heyward we saw on the field was not worth $16 million a year.

It sounds great on paper to say they can cut him with no dead money. But how bad does Heyward have to be for this organization to actually move on? If he's just good enough, the guy gets to keep his salary making him one of the highest paid players on the team.

Agreed. I see very little chance that the Steelers cut Cam Heyward- the WPMOY, the face of the franchise, the ultimate company man- after this season. Unless he retires, Cam is back next season at a bloated salary. The post-2018 miasma of bad offense, good regular season defense that is overpaid and collapses in the playoffs will continue.

[PennyBacker]

People who would not consider a healthy and motivated Cam Heyward an asset to the defense are delusional.

The guy played on one leg last season, and still played alright.

Cam is the face of the 2010s playoff defensive collapses, which is why so many of us are fed up with him. The Steelers have won a single playoff game in which he played (2015 Wild Card against the Bengals). The best playoff run of his career- 2016, when the Steelers made the AFCC Game- Cam missed the entire playoffs with injury.

Cam's been totally inconsequential in basically every playoff game in which he's played, yet he says he's a Hall of Famer. He certainly didn't give a Hall of Fame performance in 2017 against the Jags, or in 2020 against Browns back-ups, or in the various other playoff losses in which he did basically nothing. He's objectively a better regular season player than Brett Keisel, but Brett thrived in the playoffs while Cam disappeared. No one is arguing Keisel should be inducted into the HoF, but I'd take Brett's career over Cam's anyday.

Given that background, I, and many others, don't really have many fond memories of Cam and find his entitlement to be annoying. I'm reasonably sure Cam will contribute to maintaining NHALS this year, though, so at least we have that to look forward to

Comparing Keisel, who was fortunate during his career to play on playoff teams with Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith alongside of him, and Cam Heyward who other than 2017 when he had Javon Hargrave and Stephon Tuitt, has not been surrounded by nearly the same talent, does a disservice to both players.

Keisel was an all-time glue guy who developed into a quality starter, especially in 2008-2010 where he also played on the same defense with prime James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley. Brett Keisel got to play and contribute on of some of the greatest defenses of his generation.

Cam is a 3-time first team All-Pro, who has played like it in the years where the team has had a supporting cast around him. It is unfortunate for him that the team did not make the playoffs in 2018 or 2019, because then he would have some statistics to show for how well he played those seasons. And don't forget, during the 2020 and 2021 playoff years, for some reason the roster went through extended periods of time where there were no 300lb men on the defensive line those seasons.

[Jobu]

This is what mediocre franchises do. Hang on to, and overpay, aging players for sentimental reasons.

[Sir Lambert]

Maybe the coaching staff is seeing something in practice now that I didn't see last year on tv. But he's 35, right? And last year he didn't have a good season.

Did they just take some cap $ from this year and push it into future seasons? Or is there any extra money they will pay out if 24 is his last season?

[W&M_Steeler]

People who would not consider a healthy and motivated Cam Heyward an asset to the defense are delusional.

The guy played on one leg last season, and still played alright.

Cam is the face of the 2010s playoff defensive collapses, which is why so many of us are fed up with him. The Steelers have won a single playoff game in which he played (2015 Wild Card against the Bengals). The best playoff run of his career- 2016, when the Steelers made the AFCC Game- Cam missed the entire playoffs with injury.

Cam's been totally inconsequential in basically every playoff game in which he's played, yet he says he's a Hall of Famer. He certainly didn't give a Hall of Fame performance in 2017 against the Jags, or in 2020 against Browns back-ups, or in the various other playoff losses in which he did basically nothing. He's objectively a better regular season player than Brett Keisel, but Brett thrived in the playoffs while Cam disappeared. No one is arguing Keisel should be inducted into the HoF, but I'd take Brett's career over Cam's anyday.

Given that background, I, and many others, don't really have many fond memories of Cam and find his entitlement to be annoying. I'm reasonably sure Cam will contribute to maintaining NHALS this year, though, so at least we have that to look forward to

Comparing Keisel, who was fortunate during his career to play on playoff teams with Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith alongside of him, and Cam Heyward who other than 2017 when he had Javon Hargrave and Stephon Tuitt, has not been surrounded by nearly the same talent, does a disservice to both players.

Keisel was an all-time glue guy who developed into a quality starter, especially in 2008-2010 where he also played on the same defense with prime James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley. Brett Keisel got to play and contribute on of some of the greatest defenses of his generation.

Cam is a 3-time first team All-Pro, who has played like it in the years where the team has had a supporting cast around him. It is unfortunate for him that the team did not make the playoffs in 2018 or 2019, because then he would have some statistics to show for how well he played those seasons. And don't forget, during the 2020 and 2021 playoff years, for some reason the roster went through extended periods of time where there were no 300lb men on the defensive line those seasons.

Sorry, not buying it. Agreed the Keisel was surrounded by great talent, but he made the most of it and thrived despite not being an All Pro himself. Cam was the great talent- he should have been thriving himself AND allowing others around him to raise their games. The 2017 defense was plenty talented enough that it should have been able to stop a Blake Bortles offense even without Shazier, and the 2020 defense was thoroughly handled by a Browns team with a back-up O-line and a head coach at home with COVID. He's a supposed "Hall of Fame" defensive end who comes up small in big situations and can't elevate the defense when it counts.

Plus, rather than pity for not having a chance to play in the playoffs in 2018, Cam should get a share of blame for the 2018 collapse- if the defense could have stopped the immortal Case Keenum and the eventually 6-10 Broncos in Denver or made a 4th Quarter stop against the eventually 4-12 Raiders, then that team would have made the playoffs.

Maybe we're overrating Cam's talent. Maybe he's not a choker, he's just not as talented as we think he is. If Cam wasn't a natural self-promoter and an NFL legacy player, I wonder if he'd ever make an All Pro team. Aaron Smith never did, but he was a quiet man who simply performed his job. Is Cam better than Aaron? I'm not sure. Cam has far more sacks, but Aaron was a rock who shut down run games.

[CKSteeler]

Heyward is not better than Aaron Smith, but he's been allowed to do things that Smith never was. Heyward's go the sack numbers because the game and the Steelers defense changed dramatically.

[W&M_Steeler]

Heyward is not better than Aaron Smith, but he's been allowed to do things that Smith never was. Heyward's go the sack numbers because the game and the Steelers defense changed dramatically.

Aaron had more playoff sacks (3) than Cam has had (1). Granted, Aaron played in more playoff games (13 to Cam's 8), but given that Cam has twice the career sacks you'd think that Cam would have equaled Aaron at least despite playing fewer games. Cam just isn't productive in the playoffs. It's telling that the Steelers had their best playoff run of the past decade the year that Cam missed the playoffs- he's a total non-factor in January, so it didn't really matter all that much when he was gone.

I don't think Cam's a Hall of Famer, and I think it would be a shame if he made it while James Harrison and Hines Ward were kept out.

[TimmayLake]

He's 35. If he plays out his contract in full that's a very bad sign for the Steelers. Young bucks needs to displace him.

[daikyu]

OK with all the wailing and gnashing of teeth. Here are the numbers.

16 mil guaranteed with a 15 mil signing bonus.

16 mil was his salary this year so the compensation does not change.

Cap hit lowered by 9 mil this season.

The team is not locking itself into much beyond some dead money if they cut him next year.

Sounds like a good deal for the team as Heyward was playing for the Steelers this year. Heyward gets to save face with a new contract that he may or may not play out and the team is not locked in beyond this year.

https://triblive.com/sports/steelers-ca ... -contract/

[CKSteeler]

Heyward is not better than Aaron Smith, but he's been allowed to do things that Smith never was. Heyward's go the sack numbers because the game and the Steelers defense changed dramatically.

Aaron had more playoff sacks (3) than Cam has had (1). Granted, Aaron played in more playoff games (13 to Cam's 8), but given that Cam has twice the career sacks you'd think that Cam would have equaled Aaron at least despite playing fewer games. Cam just isn't productive in the playoffs. It's telling that the Steelers had their best playoff run of the past decade the year that Cam missed the playoffs- he's a total non-factor in January, so it didn't really matter all that much when he was gone.

I don't think Cam's a Hall of Famer, and I think it would be a shame if he made it while James Harrison and Hines Ward were kept out.

There was a play against the Colts that stands out to me. It was like 3rd and goal from the 1 or two yard line, and the Colts handed off to Edgerrin James on an outside run. Smith met him and took him down on his own solo. Killed all the momentum the Colts just built going down the field and kept the game 14-3 after a miserable first half for Peyton Manning.

That play most people forgot about was more impactful than anything Heyward has done in his entire playoff career.

[Deebo]

Heyward is not better than Aaron Smith, but he's been allowed to do things that Smith never was. Heyward's go the sack numbers because the game and the Steelers defense changed dramatically.

Aaron had more playoff sacks (3) than Cam has had (1). Granted, Aaron played in more playoff games (13 to Cam's 8), but given that Cam has twice the career sacks you'd think that Cam would have equaled Aaron at least despite playing fewer games. Cam just isn't productive in the playoffs. It's telling that the Steelers had their best playoff run of the past decade the year that Cam missed the playoffs- he's a total non-factor in January, so it didn't really matter all that much when he was gone.

I don't think Cam's a Hall of Famer, and I think it would be a shame if he made it while James Harrison and Hines Ward were kept out.

There was a play against the Colts that stands out to me. It was like 3rd and goal from the 1 or two yard line, and the Colts handed off to Edgerrin James on an outside run. Smith met him and took him down on his own solo. Killed all the momentum the Colts just built going down the field and kept the game 14-3 after a miserable first half for Peyton Manning.

That play most people forgot about was more impactful than anything Heyward has done in his entire playoff career.

Smitty in his prime was unblockable and held the line for his LBers to make plays.
Can you say the same about Cam?

[K_C_]

B2B called it. SMH

If Heyward blows or is injured, he literally will see no new money from this deal.

The guy should have been asked to take a paycut after last season. Instead, his entire salary for the year was guaranteed and he had two years tacked onto it. The last version of Cameron Heyward we saw on the field was not worth $16 million a year.

It sounds great on paper to say they can cut him with no dead money. But how bad does Heyward have to be for this organization to actually move on? If he's just good enough, the guy gets to keep his salary making him one of the highest paid players on the team.

I don't mind Heyward playing a one year deal at $16 million in the hopes he plays like he did in the past (and if you look at his stats, they were very, very good up until last season. It IS possible Cam stays healthy and has a great year. Not out of the realm of possibility at all) and if somehow Heyward is awful or misses signifiant time again with injury, Cam will probably know it's time to hang em up.

If not, the Steelers will first try and encourage him to end his career as a Steeler or they'll release him.

This truly is a one year "prove it" deal and also a thank you for several past great seasons and that's exactly what it should be.