Steelers will be without team captain until contract dispute is settled

Cameron Heyward has attended every offseason program since the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him in 2011. That's 13 years. He's getting ready to break that streak in 2024.

Heyward has not made an appearance at Pittsburgh's voluntary workouts so far this year, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, and he isn't planning to attend Organized Team Activities (OTAs) unless the Steelers give him the contract extension he wants.

With free agency looming at the end of the season, Heyward has made it clear that he wants to "play two to three more years" and that he'd prefer those years come in Pittsburgh. The team has discussed an extension but a deal hasn't been reached.

The tough part is figuring out if it's worth it for the Steelers to extend Heyward.

Cameron Heyward contract extension is tricky business for Steelers

The defensive lineman has been a key figure for the Steelers on the field and in the locker room. He made the Pro Bowl each year from 2017 to 2022.

However, he's coming off a limited 2023 season. He was dogged by a muscle injury during training camp and missed the first half of the season with a groin injury. When he returned for the final 10 games of action, he had just two sacks.

Heyward is fully healthy now and he intends to keep playing at a high level. Having said that, he recently turned 35 years old and his string of muscle injuries last season could be signs of aging that will only get more common.

His current deal is worth $16.4 million per year but he'll count for $22.4 against the cap in 2024. An extension would alleviate some of that cap hit but would also tie Pittsburgh to Heyward for several more years when he might not be able to live up to the price tag.

Heyward doesn't intend to take a pay cut either, so this one could drag on.