Cameron Heyward isn’t practicing in team portions of training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it apparently has nothing to do with injury or keeping the 36-year-old defensive tackle fresh for the regular season.
Heyward isn’t practicing because he wants a reworked contract.
According to an ESPN report that TribLive confirmed via a league source, Heyward is seeking a raise from the $14.75 million he is scheduled to earn this season. Of that amount, Heyward already has been paid $13.45 million as a roster bonus, leaving him with a $1.3 million base salary.
ESPN also reported, and TribLive confirmed, that kicker Chris Boswell also wants a new contract, which explains why he hasn’t kicked in special teams portions of practice. Heyward and Boswell each are signed through 2026.
Per team policy, the Steelers do not renegotiate contracts that have multiple years remaining on them. Quarterback was the exception when Ben Roethlisberger was due for extensions. As a case in point, the Steelers made star outside linebacker T.J. Watt wait until one year was left on his contract before they signed him to a new deal.
Last decade, the Steelers gave wide receiver Antonio Brown an advance on future salaries before signing him to a contract extension in February 2017 when he was scheduled to enter the final year of his deal.
Heyward declined an interview request after practice Thursday. He practiced in team portions early in training camp during the unpadded heat acclimation period, but he has not taken part in such drills for at least a week. Although he did not practice again Thursday, Heyward remained on the field afterward and worked with players on individual pass-rush moves.
“I don’t think it’s a distraction,” third-year defensive lineman Keeanu Benton said after practice. “He still puts his two cents in when it comes to teaching us techniques and stuff like that. I don’t think it changes for us.”
Boswell was not spotted on the field during practice.
Heyward’s annual average value over the next two seasons ranks No. 22 among interior defensive linemen, per salary-tracking website overthecap.com.
The Steelers gave Heyward a new contract in the 2024 offseason when he was coming off a season in which injuries limited him to 11 games and he totaled just two sacks. That amounted to his fewest number of sacks since he became a starter in 2013.
The deal Heyward signed last year was for three years and $45 million, which included $29 million in new money over the 2025-26 seasons. He is scheduled to receive a $12.95 million roster bonus in March and a $1.3 million salary in 2026.
Heyward rewarded the Steelers last season by rebounding and enjoying one of his best seasons. He was named a first-team All-Pro selection for the fourth time in his career, and he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the seventh time after collecting eight sacks while having a career-high 11 pass deflections. Heyward also had 12 tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits.
Heyward, who is entering his 15th season, has been named a team captain 10 times in his career.
“I don’t think the communication has changed,” Benton said. “He’s come out here and worked his tail off, just in different ways. He’s still out here being a leader, so I respect him for that.”
Rookie undrafted free agent Ben Sauls of Pitt has handled the kicking duties during recent special teams periods. Boswell has kicked in warmups but not in team sessions for the past week.
Boswell signed a four-year, $20 million contract in 2022, and he is due to make $3.12 million this year with a $4.72 million salary cap hit. In 2026, his salary increases to $3.22 million and his cap number is $4.82 million.
Boswell, 34, made the Pro Bowl for the second time in his career and became a first-team All-Pro pick for the first time in 2024 when he converted a league-high 41 field goals in 44 attempts. He made 13 of 15 attempts from 50 yards or beyond, and he set numerous franchise single-season kicking records.
His salary this year ranks No. 11 among kickers, per overthecap.com.
Heyward and Boswell were two of the veteran players whom coach Mike Tomlin said would not play Saturday night when the Steelers open the preseason at Jacksonville. Tomlin already addressed the media for the final time before the preseason opener when the ESPN report was published.
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
