Even though some thought this was a foregone conclusion, Mike McDaniel reported thatCameron Heyward did finally agree to a new deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Defensive Lineman expects to get potentially $3.2 million in incentives tied to playoffs and playoff wins.
The #Steelers and seven-time Pro Bowl DL Cam Heyward agreed to terms on a revised contract for 2025, adding $3.2 million in incentives tied to playoffs and playoff wins, sources tell The Insiders.
Heyward can now earn close to $18M. He’ll start Sunday against the #Jets. pic.twitter.com/XzDK11JbrU
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 7, 2025
First and foremost, Heyward playing on Sunday is a big deal. Honestly, it seemed unlikely that the defender would be inactive for Week 1. This contract keeps him happy and the 36-year-old can now earn potentially up to $18 million for the 2025 season.
Heyward earned his seventh Pro Bowl selection in 2024. Despite only having eight sacks, he hit the quarterback 20 times, made 71 combined tackles including 12 for a loss. Even with a slightly decreased workload, Heyward was his usual Pro Bowl caliber self. He only played during 71% of defensive snaps yet produced numbers close to his 2021 and 2022 levels.
The 6-foot-5, 295 pound lifelong Pittsburgh Steeler will make life much harder for the New York Jets offense on Sunday. He creates a ton of space for the rest of the Pittsburgh Front Seven and moves the needle for players like T.J. Watt. In leagues like this, it does not always hurt to tie one player to another.
A happy Cameron Heyward can only mean good things for Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh coaching staff. More importantly, that spells good times for a Pittsburgh defense that ranked 8th in points allowed, 12th in yards, and first in turnovers. Turnover margin was a big reason for Pittsburgh’s success last year.
Also, turnovers mean solid points in fantasy leagues. It did not hurt that Pittsburgh, behind Heyward, allowed only 20.4 points per game. That included two road contests last year where the Steelers yielded a mere 16 points combined. Pittsburgh had one of the better run defenses helped along by Heyward who provides matchup problems and will on Sunday against New York.
Pittsburgh plays a lot of muck and grind while trying to control the line of scrimmage especially on defense. Cameron Heyward plays a vital role in clogging up the opponents’ offensive line while getting pressure on the quarterback. He hit the signal-caller 20 times in 2024 while pressuring him 24 times. Do not be surprised if he gets to Justin Fields on Sunday in some way.
Finally, Heyward’s veteran presence alone is a lift as Pittsburgh projects to be one of the better fantasy defenses overall in Week 1 of NFL action.