Amid his contract hold-in, Cam Heyward isn’t receiving a warm welcome from fans or former NFL executives. Seeking a revised contract less than one year after signing an extension, former Buffalo Bills general manager and Pittsburgh Steelers front office member Doug Whaley slammed Heyward for his decision to go back to the team in search of a new deal.
“Think about this,” Whaley said in an interview with 93.7 The Fan Wednesday morning. “The 15 years of goodwill Cam Heyward has gained in the public and on the team, it’s smashed over this lack of foresight. So to me, it’s an abject failure from Cam. So I can understand why he has such vitriol from the fans because you should have did this before.”
Heyward has taken a major PR hit after weathering a similar storm a year ago. Criticism of him seeking a new contract last year was forgotten thanks to the All-Pro season he had, returning to form as one of the game’s top interior defensive linemen. Now looking for a raise, or at least some restructure of his contract, fans have labeled Heyward as greedy. Floating missing regular-season games in pursuit of a new contract only made his optics look worse.
“In the end, it’s not on the Steelers,” Whaley said. “This is on Cam Heyward and his camp.”
Objectively, Heyward is underpaid. He is much better than his contract reflects. And the 2024 contract he signed guaranteed zero money and wasn’t a raise. It was to provide the illusion of security, inking him through 2026 (the year he’s on record wanting to play through) in the pursuit of making him a “one-helmet” player. So far, the organization doesn’t seem keen on getting something done.
Ultimately, Heyward is trading the public relations hit he’s taking in the hopes of receiving more and/or guaranteed money. Like last year, if Heyward goes out and has a great season, fans can forgive and forget. But if he receives a contract adjustment of any sort and his play falters, Heyward’s final years in Pittsburgh will be remembered negatively. It may not tarnish his legacy but could leave a stain on it.
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