Cameron Heyward got what he wanted — a chance to be a “one-helmet” player — with a three-year, $45 million deal that runs through 2026. He will be 37 at the end of the deal, giving him a chance to retire with the team that drafted him.
“That’s all I could ask for, the chance to be a one-helmet guy,” Heyward said Wednesday, via Teresa Varley of the team website. “I got to play like it, but that’s the way I’ve always viewed it. When I first got here, getting drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, I couldn’t think about playing for another team. That’s always been a goal of mine. When I told my mom in the car when I was on my way down here to sign, she was talking about how rare it is. You know, I think it’s me and Cam Jordan left that are able to say that. It’s really special to try to live that legacy in one place.”
The Steelers drafted him in the first round in 2011, and his latest contract is his fourth with the team. He has made more than $131 million, giving the Steelers six Pro Bowl seasons and three All-Pro seasons.
“It’s awesome in the sense that it’s good to put to bed, but if I could sit here and tell you that’s all I was thinking about, I’d be lying,” Heyward said. “The goal is on the season, and that was just a piece of the puzzle, and now I have to put that to bed. I am excited to just worry about football, excited to just play good football.”
Heyward’s teammates elected him a team captain for the 10th time in his career.