Source -- Heyward agrees to revised deal, will play for Steelers - ESPN

PITTSBURGH — Less than 24 hours before their season opener against the New York Jets, the Pittsburgh Steelers and defensive captain Cam Heyward agreed to a reworked contract that adds more than $3 million in incentives to his deal this year, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Saturday night.

The deal allows Heyward, 36, to earn up to $18 million in 2025, an increase from the $14.75 million he was initially due in the two-year contract extension he signed a year ago.

With the contract dispute resolved, Heyward will play Sunday against the Jets.

The Steelers broke multiple team precedents in reworking Heyward's deal, not only in adjusting a contract two years before its expiration, but also offering him incentives, something previously done only for their quarterbacks.

«Not a lot of players have gotten incentives over here,» Heyward said Friday. «A lot of it is stemmed from just quarterbacks. There's different ways to handle the situation. I'm all for proving it. I'm not running away from it. My career has always been about proving it, and if it was that route, I'd go for it, but got time, see what happens.»

According to OverTheCap.com, his contract's previous $14.5 million average annual value ranks 23rd for interior defensive linemen. Heyward said he told the Steelers he planned to revisit the contract after the 2024 season if he earned an All-Pro nod. Heyward then requested a reworked contract in February, following his fourth All-Pro season, in which he recorded eight sacks, 11 batted passes and 20 quarterback hits after an injury-shortened 2023 campaign.

Heyward was a brief hold-in late in training camp amid negotiation frustrations, but he returned to practice and participated in individual and team periods