With one year to go on his deal, Cameron Heyward is ready to talk turkey. The Steelers defensive end says he’d be “more than happy to facilitate” contract extensions with the club, as Mark Kaboly of TheAthletic.com writes. 
“I would love to be a Pittsburgh Steeler the rest of my life,” Heyward said as he motioned toward his wife and three young children standing by his side. “It is what I call home and my family loves it. We are very thankful to be here. We will see what happens. I have no control over it. If they reach out, I will be more than happy to facilitate.”
The Steelers would like to keep Heyward for the long run, especially since he has emerged as a leader in the locker room. A new deal could also help their tight cap situation – Heyward is currently slated to count for $13.2MM against the 2020 payroll.
Heyward expects to meet with the Steelers in “June or July” but would also be open to getting “something done earlier.” If his desire to stay in Pittsburgh means a willingness to take a hometown discount, that should help to move things along.
“They’ve done right by me so far, and I want to continue to do them right,” Heyward said.
“That’s what I love about Pittsburgh — you have to earn your way. If I play well and they show me love, I want to show love back. I want to make sure as them being my employer and them being my family, you always want to make sure that you represent your family well.”
In 2019, Heyward earned a First-Team All-Pro nod, despite playing most of the year without Stephon Tuitt on the opposite side. He finished out with nine sacks and set a new career high with 83 tackles.
Cameron seems to be a real leader on the Steelers with a Team first mentality.
Also, a great example of work ethic for younger players to get the most out of their talents.
The best option is probably if they could work something out with Heyward that decreases his cap hit this year, so they can sign Dupree and maybe even Hargrave. Even if it increases his cap hit in the long run, they’ll have a rookie quarterback and his cap hit for the team’s starting quarterback in a year or two, and plenty of room will free itself up.
How much do you love this guy? He’s awesome. Hope they work out a deal!