Steelers fans got a fresh reminder this week that Cam Heyward’s contract looks like a steal.
The interior defensive line market keeps climbing, and Monday brought another giant number when Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams agreed to a three-year, $105.9 million extension. That deal pays $35.3 million per season in new money, coming on the heels of Titans star Jeffery Simmons at $35.276 million per year and Eagles standout Jalen Carter at an NFL-record $38 million per season.
Against that backdrop, Heyward’s deal suddenly looks like a bargain.
During the 2026 offseason, Heyward signed a one-year, $18 million extension with Pittsburgh, and from 2026 through 2027 he is set to make just $18 million per season. The four-time First-Team All-Pro carries a cap number of $13.675 million this season, then it rises to $23.475 million next year, according to Over the Cap.
That’s a number that feels even better when you stack it up against what Heyward still brings on the field. Last season, Pro Football Focus graded him as the NFL’s No. 1 interior defender with a 90.4 overall mark.
The year before, he was the No. 2 defensive tackle with a 90.1 overall grade. He also checked in at No. 39 on Pete Prisco’s Top-100 list entering 2026.
The box score doesn’t always tell the full story with Heyward, and 2025 was a good example. He started all 17 games but finished with 3.5 sacks and nine tackles for a loss. Even so, his impact at the line of scrimmage stayed obvious.
Williams, the latest player to cash in at the top of the market, had 2.5 sacks and 10 tackles for a loss in 15 games last season.
Age was always part of the equation in Heyward’s extension. He’s 37 now, and that naturally leaves some room for decline.
But so far, Pittsburgh has gotten the opposite. He has stayed powerful, disruptive and tough to move at the point of attack.
No, this isn’t about saying Heyward is better than Williams, Carter or Simmons. It’s about the price tag. And at roughly half the cost, the Steelers are getting a deal that looks better every time the market resets.
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Even so, the conversation lingers because the league landscape is not exactly offering an obvious escape hatch. If the Steelers ever did decide Rodgers was available, there does not appear to be a clear NFL team lined up as a realistic landing spot, which only adds to how unusual this whole twist feels. For the moment, the football world is left to watch whether this is just speculative noise or a storyline that could gain real traction later in the fall. [Read more 🡒]