For the first time ever, Cameron Heyward threatens to join leave Steelers’ and join it’s biggest rivals
Who’s the longest-tenured player on the Pittsburgh Steelers today? The answer is Cameron Heyward, who’s been leading Steelers Nation for 14 years, ever since he became the 31st overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
But Heyward, who’s now 35 years old, is entering the final year of his contract. He’s not seeking a raise, but the three-time All-Pro defensive lineman would like more financial security in the form of a contract extension. Yet, the Steelers, to this point, haven’t budged, and now the player who ranks second in franchise history with 80.5 career sacks is threatening to play elsewhere next season.
“I have talked to my wife (Allie), and we know the reality, and we have had those talks, and she said it could be fun to play somewhere else. If that is what is needed to be done, then so be it. But I am still enjoying the ride here this year.”
“I still have family in Cleveland … my wife is from Cleveland. We will see. I am not trying to think about all that right now.”
He’s skipped all offseason workouts, aside from the final week of OTAs, which were only voluntary. But it’s an indication that, above all else, Heyward wants to be a Steeler.
Heyward is set to make a base salary of $16 million this season and a cap hit of $22 million. An extension could lower that number if Pittsburgh’s interested, but maybe they’d prefer to keep their future cap sheet clean and just take the cap hit now. So far, that appears to be the case, but we’ve seen how quickly plans can change.
In other news, Pro Football Focus has released their top 32 players in the NFL at every position ahead of the 2024 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ two offensive guards received high praise amongst their counterparts. While the Steelers’ offensive line was not great overall last year, their guard play was very strong. So, it is not a surprise to see Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels both ranked inside the top 20 of PFF’s top 32 guards in the NFL.
Pittsburgh Steelers Guards Ranked Top 20 in NFL by PFF
#14 – Isaac Seumalo
Veteran Isaac Seumalo was the first of the Steelers guards on the list, coming in at 14. Here is what PFF had to say about Seumalo’s performance last season:
“(Seumalo) parlayed his excellent 2022 campaign with the Eagles into a three-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The result was a 71.9 PFF overall grade, the 14th best among guards, and a season without allowing a single sack. He also allowed just 26 pressures in 2023, translating into a 4.8% pressure rate allowed.”
Watching the Steelers last season, it was clear that Seumalo was having a great season. His pass-blocking metrics were even better than what was on tape. Seumalo was sandwiched between Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle and Mason Cole at center, two of the NFL’s worst players last season at their respective positions. So, it was sometimes difficult to see if Seumalo was getting beat in isolation or simply getting stuck while trying to pick up the slack of his teammates. According to PFF’s metrics, he was not beaten one-on-one very often.
Isaac Seumalo will turn 31 during the 2024 season, so he’s getting towards the wrong end of the age spectrum. But, he appears to have plenty of good football in him as long as he can stay healthy. Injuries have been a problem throughout his career but he was healthy the entire 2023 season and has shown no signs of slowing down.
#20 – James Daniels
Rounding out the pair of Steeles guards in PFF’s rankings was James Daniels at 20. While Seumalo was Pittsburgh’s best offensive lineman last year, Daniels wasn’t too far behind. Pro Football Focus had this to say about Daniels:
“Daniels has been an underrated guard throughout his six NFL seasons and might be considered underrated again. The former Bear earned the lowest grade of his career in 2023 but has allowed only one sack in two years with the Steelers.
He recorded the 20th-lowest pressure rate allowed among all guards in the NFL and let up 24 pressures in 2023.”
Since coming to Pittsburgh prior to the 2022 season, the best way to describe Daniels’ tenure is consistent. While he was never putting himself in the conversation of the NFL’s best guards, he has consistently been the Steelers best or second-best lineman. They have had serious issues on their offensive line over the past few seasons, but Daniels was never one of them.
Surprisingly, the Steelers don’t seem interested in working on a contract extension with Daniels prior to the season. He is set to hit free agency next offseason, and will likely fetch a pretty big contract for a guard. Only 26 years old, Daniels has a lot of good football left in the tank, whether in Pittsburgh or somewhere else. For now, though, Daniels will be in Pittsburgh. Expect him to continue to be a consistent, reliable piece of their improving offensive line.
