Steelers, defensive captain Cameron Heyward agree to 4-year contract extension

Chris Adamski
Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020 11:05 p.m. | Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020 11:05 p.m.

Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward warms up during a camp practice at Heinz Field last month. Heyward agreed to a reported $75.1 million contract extension with the team.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cameron Heyward came to an agreement with less than eight days to spare.

Heyward, their veteran defensive lineman and captain, agreed to a four-year contract extension Sunday. According to an ESPN report, the contract includes $65.6 million in new compensation and is considered to be the biggest total contract given a defensive player older than 30 in NFL history.

Counting the 2020 season, the deal is five years for $75.1 million.

The Steelers have long abided by a policy that forbade contract negotiations during the regular season. The Steelers are scheduled to open the 2020 season Monday, Sept. 14 at the New York Giants.

HERE. WE. GOOOOOOOOOOO!

We’re excited that you’re staying in Pittsburgh with a new 5-year deal through 2024! https://t.co/INw9uIcE4J

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 7, 2020

Heyward, 31, was named first-team All Pro for the second time last season when he had nine sacks, 21 quarterback hits, six passes defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery as one of the featured pieces of a defense that led the NFL in takeaways and sacks.

A first-round pick in 2011 and son of former Pitt star running back Craig Heyward, Cameron Heyward has long been a leader in the Steelers’ locker room. He became a starter in his third season and signed a five-year, $59.25 million extension in 2015.

Heyward has been named to the Pro Bowl each of the past three seasons and was also All Pro in 2017. He has had 29 sacks since 2017 and his 54 career sacks are the fifth-most for an active defensive tackle in the NFL.

Congrats to our guy @CamHeyward !! #ElementFamily https://t.co/iG8fsf6ygO

— Element Sports Group (@element_sports) September 7, 2020

Heyward has missed just nine games because of injury among the 144 the Steelers have played in his career — all came because of a torn pectoral muscle suffered in 2016.

The contract was first reported by ESPN and NFL Network. A message left for Heyward’s agent, Michael Perrett of Element Sports Group, was not immediately returned.

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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.