Cameron Heyward joins rare company by securing 4th contract with Steelers

As any mother is apt to do, Charlotte Heyward reminded her eldest son this week that he is special.

Only this time she wasn’t just feeding him words of encouragement. She had statistical evidence to support it.

Cameron Heyward was driving to UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Tuesday to sign his new three-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers — his fourth deal since joining the team in 2011 — when the topic turned to members of the 2011 draft class still playing for their original team.

“She was talking about how rare it is,” Heyward said Wednesday after practice. “Me and Cam Jordan are the ones left able to say that. It really is special to live that legacy in one place.”

Six picks after the New Orleans Saints selected Jordan at No. 24 in that draft, the Steelers took Heyward out of Ohio State. Of the handful of players from that class who remain active in the league, the rest have moved on to other destinations.

“That’s all I could ask for — a chance to be a one-helmet guy,” Heyward said. “But it’s not set in stone. I have to play like it.”

Heyward realizes that with his contract carrying no financial guarantees beyond this season, the only way he is assured of finishing his career with the Steelers is if he holds up his end of the bargain.

At age 35 and entering his 14th NFL season, Heyward is coming off a season in which he was limited to 11 games because of groin injuries and totaled just two sacks, his fewest since becoming a starter in 2013.

Still, Heyward earned six consecutive Pro Bowl selections before last season, he is a three-time first-team All-Pro pick and earlier this week was voted a team captain for the 10th time in his career. He also is the reigning Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner.

“He’s been the captain ever since I’ve been here,” said outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who joined the Steelers in 2017. “He’s a guy who emulates what a true Pittsburgh Steeler is, and that’s why it is so important he’s able to be secure here and finish his career here.”

Two days earlier, when Heyward met with the media after captains were announced, he wasn’t sure whether the 2024 season would be his final one with the Steelers. With negotiations ongoing, he had a feeling it wouldn’t be, but he kept those thoughts to himself.

“I didn’t want to get my hopes up too much,” he said. “I wanted to stay locked in. You never know. It could go sideways very quickly. I wanted to see the process through. You could call it poker face, but it wasn’t the time to gauge where this thing could go.”

Heyward likely won’t be the last Steelers veteran to sign a new contract before the season begins Sunday in Atlanta and the organization ceases all negotiations, as has been its policy for three decades.

The Steelers would like to extend tight end Pat Freiermuth, who is entering the final season of his rookie contract. Freiermuth is making $1.482 million in base salary, which ranks No. 26 at his position. His $1.918 million cap hit is exceeded by 45 tight ends.

On Wednesday, Freiermuth politely deferred an interview request until later in the week, perhaps a sign he will have something newsworthy to discuss.

A new contract would be the second for Freiermuth in an NFL career that is entering its fourth season. That Heyward has secured a fourth deal shows how rare it is for a player to display such longevity with one team.

“It’s awesome in the sense that it has been put to bed,” Heyward said, “but if I could tell you it was all I was thinking about, I would be lying. The goal is on the season. That was just a piece of the puzzle.”

One that will keep Heyward bound to the Steelers for three more seasons unless he plays well enough to show he deserves a fifth contract in, say, 2026.

“Who knows if he wants to play five or six more years,” Watt said, laughing. “I’m just super excited for him. He’s a guy who does everything the right way on and off the field. To get rewarded with a deal, there is no one more deserving than Cam.”