The Steelers have wanted to sign defensive tackle Cam Heyward to a new deal during the offseason. Heyward, the team's defensive captain, would like to get a contract extension that would keep him in Pittsburgh beyond the 2020 season.
Yet nothing has happened between the two sides as the Steelers kicked off their first padded practices of training camp Monday at Heinz Field.
There's a sense of frustration growing on the part of Heyward, who has seen other players around the league start to sign extensions in recent days, including the Packers giving nose tackle Kenny Clark a four-year, $70-million deal over the weekend.
"Honestly, there are no new updates. We're in what, the third week of camp? There's nothing of any substance," Heyward said. "You know where I stand. I want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler. I want to lead this team to a Super Bowl. We'll see where we are. I love this team. I love my teammates. I love this city and the coaches. I love being a Pittsburgh Steeler. It takes two to tango. I want to be here. We've got three more weeks before the season. All I can focus on is what I can control. We'll leave it at that."
NFL teams were in a holding pattern for much of the past couple of months as the league and NFLPA figured out what ramifications the possibility of having no fans in stadiums will have on the 2021 salary cap.
The league and union agreed two weeks ago the cap would not fall to less than $175 million next year, which led to a spate of signings around the league. But the Steelers would be around $14 million over that cap, meaning they would have to potentially release players or restructure some contracts to get under the cap.
The 2021 cap could come in higher than $175 million if the NFL does some things, such as playing games on Saturdays and other ways the league can increase revenue, but that floor could be the reason why the Steelers have slowed their approach to signing Heyward to an extension.
Heyward, 31, is entering the final season of a six-year, $59-million deal he signed in 2015. He'll earn $9.5 million this season.
At the time, the 2011 first-round pick's contract made him one of the highest-paid defensive tackles in football. But the going rate for a player of his talents is now twice as much as that amount. Heyward has been a Pro Bowl player in each of the past three seasons and has earned All-Pro status in two of those years.
In 2019, he led all NFL defensive tackles with 83 tackles, the most for a Steelers defensive lineman in nearly 20 years. Heyward also had nine sacks, giving him 29 over the past three seasons.
"Dealing with the coronavirus definitely halted a lot of things," Heyward said. "Early on, we had set dates to talk. We went past those dates and nothing got resolved or ramped up. My agent (Michael Perrett) has talked to them, but nothing has gotten ramped up yet."
That could change soon. The Steelers have a long-standing policy to shut down any contract talks once the regular season begins. They would not pick them up again until the season ends.
Heyward is aware of that policy. But he's been with the team long enough that he's seen teammates sign contract extensions prior to hopping on a plane for the first game of the regular season.
"It's pretty uncertain right now. I don't know what to think," Heyward said. "I've seen some of my teammates have done it. The NFL business is moving forward. You see guys getting their contracts resolved. I want to have faith. But I'm going to be ready to play either way. I'll make sure I'm locked in on this season and this won't be a hinderance on my performance."
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