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Former Ohio State standout Cam Heyward gets contract extension with Pittsburgh Steelers
By Sean Labar
Published:
Former Ohio State standout Cameron Heyward just signed a 3-year contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to an official announcement from the team’s official website.
According to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, Heyward is getting $45 million with $16 million guaranteed this season.
Cam Heyward gets 3-years and $45M — with $16M fully guaranteed this season. https://t.co/7sszxqZN8s
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 3, 2024
Heyward was selected in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft and become a staple on the Steelers’ defense as he now enters his 14th professional season. A longtime Steeler, Heyward has been vocal about his desire to spend all of his career with the historic franchise.
“There are certain guys who are one-helmet guys,” said Heyward. “I want to be one of those one-helmet guys.”
Heyward has been a mainstay for the Steelers defense, a captain for 10 consecutive seasons. He is a 6-time Pro Bowler and 3-time AP First Team All-Pro selection. He has appeared in 194 career games, with 159 starts, and has started every game he has played in since the 2014 season. His 194 games played put him in 7th place on the Steelers all-time list, and he could move into 4th place in 2024.
The former Ohio State standout is tied with James Harrison for second place in team history with 80.5 career sacks, behind only T.J. Watt, who has 96.5 career sacks. His 80.5 career sacks are the most by a Steelers’ defensive lineman since 1982 and ninth-most by a defensive tackle in NFL history.
For his career, Heyward has 647 tackles, 404 of them solo stops, 118 tackles for a loss, 175 quarterback hurries, 47 passes defensed, 8 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions.
Last year Heyward appeared in 11 games while dealing with a groin injury, recording 33 tackles, 25 of them solo stops, 6 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks and 1 pass defense.
The Pittsburgh native thrived immediately at Ohio State, earning freshman All-American honors by several major media outlets after finishing his first season in Columbus with 10 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. His production only continued to get better during his time with the Buckeyes with his best season coming as a junior, in 2009, where he had 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, leading Ohio State to the Rose Bowl where the Buckeyes won 26–17 against Oregon. Heyward declined entering the NFL Draft after his junior season and stayed in Columbus for his senior year.