Cameron Heyward could be Steelers cap casualty in 2021
Cameron Heyward may be a cap casualty in 2021
NFL teams were expecting revenues to keep rising entering 2020. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the league will likely have a much lower salary cap in 2021 than expected.
That means tough decisions will have to be made and the Pittsburgh Steelers are facing several of those. The top decisions that must be made surround the futures of both James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster. However, Cameron Heyward is another big name who is in the final year of his contract this season.
That makes him a clear candidate to be let go following this year and a recent report by Ed Bouchette of the The Athletic (subscription required) made the same assumption.
Cameron Heyward on the chopping block
Heyward has gotten better with time and has made three consecutive Pro Bowls with the Steelers. He has also arguably played below his value and is set to earn $9.5 million in the final year of his deal.
In a perfect world the Steelers would avoid any contract drama and extend him now. However, everyone is in a “wait and see” approach with the financial situation. The Steelers don’t want to extend Heyward if that means jeopardizing other needed moves on the roster.
Age is one thing working against the defensive lineman. He will be 32 years old next season. Thus the focus may be on retaining younger and cheaper talent on defense. A giant extension for T.J. Watt could be the top focus of the front office before long.
The Steelers are in a tough spot already with Ben Roethlisberger being a $41.25 million cap hit in 2021. His dead cap is $22.25 million, but that is still a huge figure either way.
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Heyward is a career Steeler and letting him go would be more about business than anything he did wrong. But making several cuts in order to pay Roethlisberger in what could be his final season will have Steelers fans wondering if that plan is the smart one.