Sports

Cam Heyward agrees to restructured deal with Steelers, will play Sunday vs. Jets

The Pittsburgh Steelers and defensive lineman Cam Heyward have agreed to a restructured contract after an offseason hold-in, per multiple reports. The revised deal will give Heyward an added $3.2 million in incentives, giving the veteran tackle a chance to earn nearly $18 million.

Heyward and the Steelers brought things down to the wire, agreeing on a deal one day before Pittsburgh's season opener against the New York Jets. Heyward, who initially refused to commit to playing in Week 1, will play on Sunday after all.

Heyward is entering his 15th season in the NFL, all of them with the Steelers.

Heyward, a seven-time Pro-Bowler and the 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year, is on the first year of a two-year, $29 million extension — a deal he signed coming off of an injury-ridden 2023 season. But in August, Heyward told reporters that he wanted a new deal that reflected his stellar 2024 season, where he earned his fourth All-Pro honor.

"It's hard for me, after the year that I had, to really justify playing at the number I'm playing at," Heyward said at the time. "I understand I signed a contract last year. But to be completely honest with you, when I signed that, I told them, 'When I have an All-Pro year, expect me to come back.'"

Heyward initially did not fully participate in offseason practice this season while seeking a new version of his deal, but returned to practice in mid-August despite not making progress on negotiations. After confirming his hold-in, Heyward hinted at the possibility that he would be willing to miss regular season games to get his deal, and told reporters "we'll see" about his availability on Friday.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters earlier this week that he expected Heyward to play.

"I'm sure he's champing at the bit," Tomlin said.

Now, Heyward, who has previously expressed his desire to be "one of those one-helmet guys," gets to secure a more comfortable short-term future with the Steelers, and will be out there for Sunday's season opener after resolving the contract issue.

Steelers add "more than $3 million" in incentives to Cam Heyward's deal

The Steelers and defensive lineman Cam Heyward have beaten the clock.

Given Pittsburgh's well-established (and entirely illogical) rule that no contracts will be negotiated during football season, the Steelers and Heyward have reached an agreement on a revised contract for 2025.

Via NFL Network, the team has added "more than $3 million" in incentives to Heyward's pay for 2025. The extra payments are premised on the team making it to the playoffs, and winning playoff games.

The Steelers last won a postseason game in the 2016 season.

Before the 2024 season, Heyward signed a two-year, $29 million extension to a contract that otherwise ran through 2024. He said last month that he told them he'd be back at the table, after making the All-Pro team. And he did.

But the Steelers didn't budge. Heyward stopped practicing in an effort to get more. Eventually, he returned to work. On Friday, he suggested he may not play on Sunday against the Jets.

Even though the two sides reached an eleventh-hour resolution, the entire situation created an avoidable and protracted distraction. And time will tell whether the time and effort devoted to the situation will impact Heyward's performance when the real games start, tomorrow.

Report: Travis Hunter to be every-down receiver, situational corner Sunday

It looks like Travis Hunter's NFL debut will feature more offense than defense.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Jaguars plan to use Hunter as an every-down receiver during Sunday's game against the Panthers. The second-round pick is also expected to be used as a situational cornerback.

"We're going to have to figure it out," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said on Friday. "We're going to have to all be flexible. We'll come up with that plan over the next 24 hours in terms like, alright, what are the exact maybe numbers we want to hit on both sides or usage?"

The report notes that the plan won't necessarily remain the same in the weeks to come, but it fits with the depth chart the Jaguars released earlier this week. It lists Hunter as a starting wideout and the second-string corner behind Jourdan Lewis.

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