The Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to terms on a lucrative contract extension with veteran defensive lineman Cameron Heyward. According to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Heyward will sign a four-year extension with Pittsburgh. Though Heyward still had a year remaining on his previous deal, the 31-year-old will now be under contract with the Steelers for the next five seasons.
The Steelers signed All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward to a four-year extension, the team announced Monday. Terms were not disclosed, but a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler the deal is worth $65.6 million. Including his salary for the 2020 season, he will be paid a total of $75.1 million over the next five seasons.
The monster contract yields the highest per-year average for any defensive player over the age of 30 in NFL history.
The Steelers confirmed the news of Heyward’s extension on their Twitter page Monday morning.
Signed ??
Sealed ??
Delivered ??We've signed DT Cameron Heyward to a new five-year contract!@BordasLaw Transaction: https://t.co/hItK6wRYLH pic.twitter.com/4hFVh2ngbV
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 7, 2020
Though some may be surprised at the five-year commitment Pittsburgh was willing to make to a 30-plus-year-old defensive lineman, Cameron Heyward has proven to be the anchor of their defense over the past seven seasons.
Heyward is coming off one of the best seasons of his career in 2019-20, racking up nine sacks and 11 TFL as an interior defensive lineman en route to his third straight AFC Pro Bowl selection. Heyward does a consistent job week in and week out of setting the tone for a Pittsburgh front seven that also features the likes of young standouts Devin Bush, Bud Dupree and Defensive Player of the Year candidate T.J. Watt.
The Steelers have one of the top defensive units in the league heading into next season. Their dominant front is complemented by a secondary featuring experienced playmakers such as Joe Haden and Minkah Fitzpatrick. If Cameron Heyward can live up to his latest extension, the Steelers will continue to be one of the biggest threats in the AFC for years to come.
