Pittsburg, PA
Predicting Cam Heyward’s Contract with Steelers
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cam Heyward still have not agreed on a new contract. The team’s minicamp is completed, leaving just a brief break between now and the start of training camp. After that, the regular season will be here in a snap, leaving contract talks to wait until the season concludes.
If a contract extension is completed, it will be during this break before training camp and the preseason begins. Heyward recently made bold claims about playing elsewhere, which could apply pressure on the Steelers to finalize his new extension. The biggest question remaining in these negotiations is what will the contract look like if they reach an agreement.
Let’s start with the NFL’s current market for defensive linemen. According to Over the Cap, Heyward’s average salary of just over $16 million ranks 19th among interior defensive linemen. The position received a huge boost when the recently retired Aaron Donald negotiated his contract extension, earning himself an average salary north of $30 million.
That reset of the market led to a group of younger defensive linemen getting paid. Players such as Justin Madubuike, Derrick Brown, Dexter Lawrence, and Jeffrey Simmons all received contracts totaling more than $90 million after Donald signed his extension. They also were guaranteed at least 50% of their total contract. Heyward wants to be paid like a top-10 defensive lineman in the NFL, putting him on par with or exceeding these contracts.
The biggest hold-up for the Steelers is Heyward’s age. He’s 35 years old, and while he wants to play longer, there is no guarantee what level he can bring to finish his career. The best linemen in the league are between the ages of 25-31, with many players out of the league by the time they are Cam’s age.
There’s no doubt that the Steelers have a freak of nature in Cam Heyward, but should they pay him like he will be elite for the duration of his next contract? His performance at this point of his career is an anomaly, and the Steelers could believe that anomaly is coming to an end.
If the two sides get a deal done, it will be a compromise. Heyward can’t expect to make as much money as he’d like, and the Steelers must do something they never do: sign an aging veteran to a market-rate contract.
Some examples that could key us in on a potential contract are recent deals for defensive linemen age 30 or older. An example from last summer is former Steelers nose tackle Javon Hargrave. At age 30, he signed a four-year, $84 million deal with San Francisco. Similarly, DeForest Buckner recently signed a two-year, $46 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts. Nearly all of the money is guaranteed as well.
With all of this in mind, what will a new deal look like between Heyward and the Steelers? The length of the contract feels easier to predict. Heyward stated that he wants to play a few more years, so why not settle on a two or three-year contract? The team can structure it so there are options worked in and can leave themselves wiggle room should Heyward drastically decline.
As for the salary, that’s the real kicker. If the Steelers are willing to up his average salary to somewhere between $20 and $25 million, depending on the length of the contract, a deal will get done quickly. A new contract in the neighborhood of two-year, $40-48 million, or three-year, $60-70 million should put this negotiation to rest for Heyward and the Steelers.
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Pittsburg softball improved to 16-4 on the season by sweeping host Kansas City Piper 17-1 in five innings and 15-3 in six innings Saturday afternoon.
Breck Slaughter earned the win in both games. She allowed one run on two hits with 10 strikeouts and two walks over five innings during the opener. Then, she allowed one run on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks over three innings.
AnnaLynn Hudson pitched the last three innings of the day for the Purple Dragons.
Offensively, Pittsburg scored 17 runs on 20 hits during the opener and all nine Dragons reached the hit column. Kenleigh Warford led with four hits, Breck Slaughter and Micah Gomez each had three and Brecken Campbell, Brette Pasteur, Laney Trisler and Emily Shriver each had two. Slaughter, Trisler and Gomez each doubled twice and Pasteur and Shriver also recorded two-baggers. Brilee Mantooth homered. Gomez led the Dragons with four RBI, Campbell had three and Trisler, Mantooth and Shriver drove in two each.
The Dragons closed out their sweep with 15 runs on just 11 hits. Pasteur had a monster performance at the plate with four runs scored, three hits in three at-bats, two home runs and five RBI; she also worked a pair of walks and proved to be an utter pain for Piper pitchers Reagan Asbury and Harper Cordill.
Campbell also homered and finished with three hits for the Dragons. Slaughter and Shriver both finished with two hits and both seniors doubled.
Pittsburg won four games during the week and outscored Labette County, Independence and Piper by a combined 59-11. The Dragons return to Southeast Kansas League play on the road Monday against Independence; the Dragons beat the Bulldogs 14-1 in five innings last Thursday in Pittsburg.
The Dragons are looking to wrap up at least a share of the SEK League title.
Pittsburg 612 44 — 17 20 0
KC Piper 000 01 — 1 2 5
Breck Slaughter and Peyton Morey; Stella Utter and Ginny Garcia. W: Slaughter. L: Utter. 2B—PHS: Slaughter 2, Brette Pasteur, Emily Shriver, Laney Trisler 2, Micah Gomez 2; KCP: Faith Flournoy. HR—PHS: Brilee Mantooth.
——
Pittsburg 225 105 — 15 7 2
KC Piper 100 101 — 3 6 6
Breck Slaughter, AnnaLynn Hudson (4) and Peyton Morey; Reagan Asbury, Harper Cordill (5) and Faith Flournoy. W: Slaughter. L: Asbury. 2B—PHS: Slaughter. HR—PHs: Brecken Campbell, Brette Pasteur 2; KCP: Ginny Garcia.
This sports reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/fund/support-local-journalism-project-fund/
Pittsburg, PA
Steelers insider just poured gasoline on the Aaron Rodgers fire following latest report of what he was doing in Pittsburgh
Aaron Rodgers was supposed to be in Pittsburgh over the weekend, with the thought that a deal would get done. One Steelers insider backs the report, but adds details that only compound a messy situation.
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
At this point, the events of the past two seasons between Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers could probably be a book or movie. Everything from walks on the beach, to him throwing with DK Metcalf before signing, to someone capturing him driving a rental car into Pittsburgh has made waves.
This offseason was supposed to be different, and a decision from Rodgers was supposed to come much earlier. However, the Steelers remain in a holding pattern, and one that many believed would end over the weekend, after it was reported that Rodgers would be in town to sign a contract. Well, that seems to be true, but like much of this saga over the past two years, there seems to be a holdup.
Aaron Rodgers 2025 stats
- 3.4 TD to INT ratio.
- 3,322 passing yards.
- 65.7% completion percentage.
Aaron Rodgers visited Pittsburgh, but not the Steelers over the weekend
“Aaron Rodgers has been in town for a couple days, but the Steelers have not met with him yet and instead have been talking with his agent. Rodgers has stayed away from the team’s South Side facility while the three-day rookie minicamp has been going on.” – Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The news from Dulac comes on the heels of the report from 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh that Rodgers would be visiting the Steelers over the weekend, with the intention to sign his deal.
That report was backed up nationally by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, but some in Steelers media (Mark Kaboly) said that if Rodgers was going to be in town, that was news to the team.
Omar Khan said as much during a radio hit after the reports surfaced, saying that he didn’t know where Rodgers was, but that talks remained fluid. Of course, general managers, including Omar Khan, have been known to bend the truth, which seems to lie somewhere in the middle here.
The bottom line with Aaron Rodgers
It’s obvious to me that the Steelers and Rodgers are held up over money. I know that it was said to not be the case, but you don’t intentionally avoid meeting with a team and have your agent talk to them, just days after they use a tender that determines your 2026 salary, if you’re just going to sign.
I would be surprised if Rodgers doesn’t sign at this point, but it doesn’t change the monetary situation that needs to be worked out here.
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