Cam Heyward's contract extension should allow him to retire with Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers veteran defensive lineman Cam Heyward spent the entire offseason hoping to sign a new contract extension that would keep him with the team for the remainder of his career.

On Tuesday, he ended up getting that contract extension.

The Steelers announced that they have re-signed Heyward to a new three-year contract extension that is reportedly worth $45 million. That contract includes $29 million in new money on his current contract and $16 million that is fully guaranteed.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, it is believed to be the largest contract ever given to a defensive player age 35 or older.

Since joining the team as a first-round pick in 2011, Heyward has been one of the Steelers' best and most impactful defensive players. Over the past decade, he has also developed into one of their most consistent leaders and a mainstay in the community, winning the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year award during the 2023 season.

In terms of compensation, it is probably fair for the player Heyward still is today. He is the 20th highest-paid defensive lineman in football, and assuming he is healthy, that is probably where he ranks among defensive linemen. He is great against the run and disruptive enough as a pass-rusher to play all three downs.

The question is how well he will hold up at his age, and coming off a season where injuries limited him to just 11 games.

It was important for the Steelers and Heyward to get a new deal done before the weekend because the Steelers have a long-standing policy of not doing contract negotiations during the season. With Heyward set to enter the final year of his contract, the longer it went on without a new deal, the more likely it seemed that he might change teams after the 2024 season. Now neither side will have to worry about that.