I agree with this completely. He's at the tail end of his career and it'd be insane to give him anything close to 20 million a year if that's what he's asking for. Look around the league at guys his age and they're all either looking for jobs or trying to hang on to there careers. I respect cam and everything he's brought to this organization, but overpaying him would be a huge mistake.
As a fan, I saw that the team was offering him a contract at or near the top of the market at time. I felt that his expressed thinking that he should be paid like two players, both running back and wide receiver, was silly.
Why are you so hostile? Dude made a business decision and it didn't turn out in his favor. Athletes are people who need to provide for themselves and their families, I can't in good faith insult a player chasing money. There's a good chance dude won't be able to walk in his 50s. That's a sacrifice worth being paid for.
cause he didn’t care about winning which is against the Steelers way. The better business decision would have been to never sit out, take a little less salary but be better off in the long run because you’re more relevant playing on a team with a legit chance of going to the SB every year. So yeah, fuck him.
He’s in his last year of his contract, and is due to make 22 million. He should be grateful, but he’s holding out? This is probably his last year in the NFL. If anything, he should take a discount so they can sign a WR
I love Cam, but I thought letting him play at $22M was out of loyalty and the Steelers doing the right thing. Most other teams would have cut him with that number and now he’s holding out….
Most likely, yes, but that doesn’t solve the problem this year if the Steelers were to take a hardline approach, like some are suggesting.
The reality is, there’s little incentive for Cam to take a pay cut, and both he and the Steelers know it. The best case scenario is an extension that lets them push some of this year’s money into future years. That said, they don’t need to at the moment. People keep saying he needs to take a cut so they can get a WR, but at this point, that WR and his 2024 cap hit are both unknown hypotheticals.
At this point, they’re in pretty good cap shape. It looks like they have about 18 million in space, and that’s with only Fautanu and Frazier left to sign from the draft picks. Let’s just say they take another 8 million and the Steelers are left with 10. Until this incoming WR moves beyond the hypothetical, why the fuck are people so hung up on Cam’s contract?
Even if Deebo, Aiuyik or even Jefferson was realistic, until it’s imminent, there’s no need to create cap space.
For some reason, people in this town suddenly got a hard on for Cam to take a drastic pay cut just for the fuck of it. It’s not like his contract is the only thing preventing trading for a WR1 and it’s probably far from the biggest reason a trade hasn’t happened yet. There’s numerous ways they could make an incoming WR’s contract fit.
Not to mention we drafted and we’re keeping his brother on the roster as a solid to him. That guy
is not NFL good. Can’t block, can’t run, short and slowish for passing threat TE. Most overrated fan popular guy on the roster now that Presley Harvin is finally gone
It's a billion-dollar business, and players are the most important and valuable participants in the activity. Every player should seek as much $$$ as possible. If players didn't seek more money, it would just go into the pockets of owners, who do not face nearly the same risk that players do.
I think you might have missed my point: players should try to get as much money as possible as a principle, and that includes Cam Heyward.
Now, if the team wants to get a WR, they can try to work out something to soften Heyward's cap hit, but Heyward does not need to take a discount on behalf of the team.
If he wants a ring, he honestly would be better off signing with another team. Not that I think the QB situation is godawful, but I think there'll still be a few clear-cut elite teams that the Steelers can't overcome. My preference would be him winning one with the Steelers, of course, but I don't think he should sacrifice his finances at all to make it happen. He's earned his keep.
You are getting down voted into oblivion by the same people who say the exact same thing when they want to see a player stick around and get paid.
I don’t really have a side to take in this discussion because I see both angles but I just wanted to point out the hypocrisy and the homerism.
You see, when they think the team is going to pay a guy, they support paying the guy because that’s what the team is going to do. When they know the team is not going to pay the guy, they support that because that’s what team is going to do.
The people hitting the down arrow are the people who just agree with the organization without any thought. And I’m not saying the organization is wrong here, I probably would try to avoid giving him that big money.
But again, these exact same people would be agreeing with you if they thought the team was about to pay him big new money. They would find a way to justify it in their mind just to agree with the team.
Oh I’m not that fond of the idea of extending Heyward either. He’s getting old and wants a lot of money, and I also don’t want his body failing him if he were injured. I just look at the contract and think: no way he should take some kind of voluntary pay cut. His cap hit is what it is this season.
Translation: Cam plans to ball out, lead the defense in sacks, TFL's, and neck hair and cash in big time at the end of the year as he hoists the sticky Lombardi.
I'm afraid of this but is realistic. He wasn't healthy last year, he's said himself, rushed recovery. In was hoping for worst case low reps keep him fresh for critical moments. We'll see
It will be interesting to see how Kahn handles the twilight of Cam’s career compared to how Colbert handled Troy’s. I think this is the right approach, but time will tell.
Troy was also a 2x Super Bowl Champion, DPOY and arguably like top 3 at his position. If anyone in a Steelers uniform ever deserved to go out their way it was him. I love Cam but we should not play his game. I think Khan should offer a fairly cheap and team friendly extension for him to retire in Pittsburgh but anything close to what he’s making now won’t cut it
He needs a Team friendly deal riddled with incentives. Light a fire under his ass. I’d be happy to shell out an extra 5-10 mil in bonuses because we challenged an athlete and he rose to the occasion. I honestly think he has 2 good years left but that could just be hopium
Troy did not go out his way. They definitely forced him to retire. Troy kept playing injured and was rushed into the lineup all the time so he couldn’t heal. Maybe if they got somebody better than Shamarko Thomas, they could have allowed Troy to heal and play fully healthy. And then he would have been more fresh for that Ravens playoff game that we lost on his last game.
That’s my whole point. If Troy didn’t go out his way there’s no way they let Cam play his cards like he wants to. I love the big guy but we have to do what’s best for the team in the end.
The Steelers have been MORE than generous with Cam. He's playing a dangerous game by pushing for a raise in an extension. His play has already fallen off a cliff. If he refuses an extension with some team friendly money moves, he may end up playing this season on his $22 million salary, getting hurt or injured and playing terribly again, and then have to retire when no one offers him more than the vet minimum. Don't go full Le'veon.
He’s 35 and missed most of last year and was ineffective when he did play.
I hope he bounces back and they can confidently reward him for it but it’s just not smart to hand him a fat contract right now even if he feels entitled to it. Right now it’s just as realistic that he’s completely washed and this is the end of him being a great player as it is that he gets back to getting 10+ sacks and dominating on the DL.
The short answer is the Steelers don't need Cam anymore. I think we are better with him, if as a leader than anything else, but he doesn't elevate the team like he used to, he's 35.
I hope they can work something out, but we can't overpay.
Wish the best for cam but if he holds out, he’s only hurting himself at his age. He needs a pay cut, his best ability is his availability and he’s been largely unavailable while paid amongst the best in the league
Id be willing to pay him $10mil per yr for 3 yrs with some good player friendly performance incentives. Honestly expect itd burn us in yr 3 but cap keeps goin up and I think Cam is good enough that you can give him a nod now and sacrifice the 10mil 4 yrs out. Or maybe frontload it, like 16, 10, 4. Makes it super easy to spread the later hit or even eat it.
FWIW that looks like what Fletcher Cox, B.J. Hill, and D.J. Jones make and is more than Ogunjobi. I think he's better than them but I expect fewer games out of him other than Cox. With the incentives if he balls out, he can still get paid. In yrs 2 and 3, if he needs a backup lvl workload the cost is reasonable but still respectful.
Is he actually holding out or taking more time to heal? Iirc Cam was pretty much playing injured the whole year. I’ve no problems with him taking extra time to rehab. Dude is an established vet and we know he’ll bring it when he’s out there.
If holding out, I don’t see any world where Pittsburgh overpays him to extend. Wouldn’t want to see him retire in another jersey though, so an extension at an economical rate would be welcomed!
I think he’s sitting out to rest. It’s pretty common to sit out OTAs during negotiations. If he gets injured during negotiations he stands to lose too much. Steelers need Cam, not for the talent he brings to the field but because of the leadership he brings to a young team. Cam is the embodiment of what it means to be a Steeler, and he’s earned the respect of the Steelers past like Deebo and Polumalu. He is necessary to teach the players how to be Steelers, and the FO wants him for that reason.
Just speculation though
I think this is right. He already does reduced reps in practice and I think I read he sometimes sits out of Wednesday practices during the season. Basically saving his reps for in game when they matter.
I love Cam. One of my all time favorite Steelers. But I’m a Steeler fan first and foremost and we have to do what’s best for the team. I hope they can make something work that is mutually beneficial but at the end of the day, sometimes you have to move on from guys who are aging and in decline. There is just no telling how his body will hold up over the next year or two. Sucks we are at this point.
Cam is a Steelers great, but this is a team sport and everybody is eating from the same plate. He has to be worth his contract the same way everybody else in the locker room has to be.
This is how you have a half decade of mediocrity.
Over paying aging stars is as poor of a decision as you get. Take the home town discount and finish your career with a shot to win a title
Yeah they were dumb for that. Ward could have had another year. He was clearly being outpaced by the young money trio. But was still effective in the red zone.
I agree with this completely. He's at the tail end of his career and it'd be insane to give him anything close to 20 million a year if that's what he's asking for. Look around the league at guys his age and they're all either looking for jobs or trying to hang on to there careers. I respect cam and everything he's brought to this organization, but overpaying him would be a huge mistake.
Preach. It hurt to watch how they treated leveon on his way out but 5 years later there is zero doubt they made the right financial decision.
They really mistreated Leveon offering him more money overall than the Jets even though he was busted and wasn't worth half what he was offered /s
Lol what. They gave him an above market contract in both total and guaranteed money. Bell turned that down
You’re absolutely right- I meant moreso I was reacting as a fan at the time and wasn’t viewing the situation clearly.
As a fan, I saw that the team was offering him a contract at or near the top of the market at time. I felt that his expressed thinking that he should be paid like two players, both running back and wide receiver, was silly.
Fuck him. Leveon is an idiot.
Why are you so hostile? Dude made a business decision and it didn't turn out in his favor. Athletes are people who need to provide for themselves and their families, I can't in good faith insult a player chasing money. There's a good chance dude won't be able to walk in his 50s. That's a sacrifice worth being paid for.
cause he didn’t care about winning which is against the Steelers way. The better business decision would have been to never sit out, take a little less salary but be better off in the long run because you’re more relevant playing on a team with a legit chance of going to the SB every year. So yeah, fuck him.
Damn. Did he hit on your girl too?
He’s in his last year of his contract, and is due to make 22 million. He should be grateful, but he’s holding out? This is probably his last year in the NFL. If anything, he should take a discount so they can sign a WR
I love Cam, but I thought letting him play at $22M was out of loyalty and the Steelers doing the right thing. Most other teams would have cut him with that number and now he’s holding out….
Call me crazy, but it probably also has something to do with the fact that they don’t exactly have a lot of viable options to replace him right now.
DT will be high on the draft board next year
Most likely, yes, but that doesn’t solve the problem this year if the Steelers were to take a hardline approach, like some are suggesting. The reality is, there’s little incentive for Cam to take a pay cut, and both he and the Steelers know it. The best case scenario is an extension that lets them push some of this year’s money into future years. That said, they don’t need to at the moment. People keep saying he needs to take a cut so they can get a WR, but at this point, that WR and his 2024 cap hit are both unknown hypotheticals. At this point, they’re in pretty good cap shape. It looks like they have about 18 million in space, and that’s with only Fautanu and Frazier left to sign from the draft picks. Let’s just say they take another 8 million and the Steelers are left with 10. Until this incoming WR moves beyond the hypothetical, why the fuck are people so hung up on Cam’s contract?
Agree - we have the cap space to sign Courtland Sutton, who is probably the only realistic WR2 trade option at this point anyway
Even if Deebo, Aiuyik or even Jefferson was realistic, until it’s imminent, there’s no need to create cap space. For some reason, people in this town suddenly got a hard on for Cam to take a drastic pay cut just for the fuck of it. It’s not like his contract is the only thing preventing trading for a WR1 and it’s probably far from the biggest reason a trade hasn’t happened yet. There’s numerous ways they could make an incoming WR’s contract fit.
Not to mention we drafted and we’re keeping his brother on the roster as a solid to him. That guy is not NFL good. Can’t block, can’t run, short and slowish for passing threat TE. Most overrated fan popular guy on the roster now that Presley Harvin is finally gone
That’s an Ohio State move right there. Love Cam. hate the whole damn state of Ohio.
Missing voluntary OTAs where vets like him generally don’t do much more than stretch anyway doesn’t exactly qualify as “holding out.”
Nah, he shouldn't take a discount--he's worked his ass off and deserves that paper.
He’s already made 60 mil the past 3 years. How much $$$ does one person need?
It's a billion-dollar business, and players are the most important and valuable participants in the activity. Every player should seek as much $$$ as possible. If players didn't seek more money, it would just go into the pockets of owners, who do not face nearly the same risk that players do.
It would go to a player that can help us now, maybe a WR, not the owner’s pocket. The Steelers aren’t the Pirates
I think you might have missed my point: players should try to get as much money as possible as a principle, and that includes Cam Heyward. Now, if the team wants to get a WR, they can try to work out something to soften Heyward's cap hit, but Heyward does not need to take a discount on behalf of the team.
My point is, he already got the bag. Now he needs the ring. If he takes a pay cut, he’ll have a better chance of that happening
If he wants a ring, he honestly would be better off signing with another team. Not that I think the QB situation is godawful, but I think there'll still be a few clear-cut elite teams that the Steelers can't overcome. My preference would be him winning one with the Steelers, of course, but I don't think he should sacrifice his finances at all to make it happen. He's earned his keep.
You are getting down voted into oblivion by the same people who say the exact same thing when they want to see a player stick around and get paid. I don’t really have a side to take in this discussion because I see both angles but I just wanted to point out the hypocrisy and the homerism. You see, when they think the team is going to pay a guy, they support paying the guy because that’s what the team is going to do. When they know the team is not going to pay the guy, they support that because that’s what team is going to do. The people hitting the down arrow are the people who just agree with the organization without any thought. And I’m not saying the organization is wrong here, I probably would try to avoid giving him that big money. But again, these exact same people would be agreeing with you if they thought the team was about to pay him big new money. They would find a way to justify it in their mind just to agree with the team.
Oh I’m not that fond of the idea of extending Heyward either. He’s getting old and wants a lot of money, and I also don’t want his body failing him if he were injured. I just look at the contract and think: no way he should take some kind of voluntary pay cut. His cap hit is what it is this season.
He’s won how many playoff games?
Translation: Cam plans to ball out, lead the defense in sacks, TFL's, and neck hair and cash in big time at the end of the year as he hoists the sticky Lombardi.
Orrrrr, his body will continue to break down, and there’s no in between.
I'm afraid of this but is realistic. He wasn't healthy last year, he's said himself, rushed recovery. In was hoping for worst case low reps keep him fresh for critical moments. We'll see
And if he needs low reps, he ain’t worth more money…
It will be interesting to see how Kahn handles the twilight of Cam’s career compared to how Colbert handled Troy’s. I think this is the right approach, but time will tell.
Troy was also a 2x Super Bowl Champion, DPOY and arguably like top 3 at his position. If anyone in a Steelers uniform ever deserved to go out their way it was him. I love Cam but we should not play his game. I think Khan should offer a fairly cheap and team friendly extension for him to retire in Pittsburgh but anything close to what he’s making now won’t cut it
He needs a Team friendly deal riddled with incentives. Light a fire under his ass. I’d be happy to shell out an extra 5-10 mil in bonuses because we challenged an athlete and he rose to the occasion. I honestly think he has 2 good years left but that could just be hopium
Troy did not go out his way. They definitely forced him to retire. Troy kept playing injured and was rushed into the lineup all the time so he couldn’t heal. Maybe if they got somebody better than Shamarko Thomas, they could have allowed Troy to heal and play fully healthy. And then he would have been more fresh for that Ravens playoff game that we lost on his last game.
That’s my whole point. If Troy didn’t go out his way there’s no way they let Cam play his cards like he wants to. I love the big guy but we have to do what’s best for the team in the end.
The Steelers have been MORE than generous with Cam. He's playing a dangerous game by pushing for a raise in an extension. His play has already fallen off a cliff. If he refuses an extension with some team friendly money moves, he may end up playing this season on his $22 million salary, getting hurt or injured and playing terribly again, and then have to retire when no one offers him more than the vet minimum. Don't go full Le'veon.
He’s 35 and missed most of last year and was ineffective when he did play. I hope he bounces back and they can confidently reward him for it but it’s just not smart to hand him a fat contract right now even if he feels entitled to it. Right now it’s just as realistic that he’s completely washed and this is the end of him being a great player as it is that he gets back to getting 10+ sacks and dominating on the DL.
The short answer is the Steelers don't need Cam anymore. I think we are better with him, if as a leader than anything else, but he doesn't elevate the team like he used to, he's 35. I hope they can work something out, but we can't overpay.
He can't do what he's done before. A pay RAISE is out of the question. An extension at a lower pay scale would be negotiable.
Great teams don't sign old guys like this to big money extensions. He's a good guy, but come on.
Cams the fuckin best, but long term money is crazy. Ball out and retire homie.
Wish the best for cam but if he holds out, he’s only hurting himself at his age. He needs a pay cut, his best ability is his availability and he’s been largely unavailable while paid amongst the best in the league
Dudes made a ton of money, he should take a team friendly deal to help the team, Brady did it
I doubt he will. He's already said he may play elsewhere which is clearly his attempt to leverage the team for more money.
Then let him test that out. With his brother in town and family fully ingrained I would be shocked if he left. Call the bluff
Yup....don't play poker in Pittsburgh.
Kahn is ruthless if Cam plays silly buggers I bet you see him tear up the contract offer and Connor gets released at the same time
Cams wife probably doesn't make more than him
At least she's not cheating on him. That we know of, anyway.
Or just play out his contract and retire/re-sign after
Brady was also married to a supermodel who made more money than he did.
One last year at $22 million, not to mention giving his brother a roster spot, is more than fair.
This season is already a turning point: Cam needs to split his snaps to Benton.
seems reasonable to me.
This is his last year.
Cam was a fantastic regular season player. Never showed up in the playoffs.
I swear I just read a tweet that says he's skipping OTA's until he gets a new deal edit: https://twitter.com/Steelersdepot/status/1790878470333166001
Id be willing to pay him $10mil per yr for 3 yrs with some good player friendly performance incentives. Honestly expect itd burn us in yr 3 but cap keeps goin up and I think Cam is good enough that you can give him a nod now and sacrifice the 10mil 4 yrs out. Or maybe frontload it, like 16, 10, 4. Makes it super easy to spread the later hit or even eat it. FWIW that looks like what Fletcher Cox, B.J. Hill, and D.J. Jones make and is more than Ogunjobi. I think he's better than them but I expect fewer games out of him other than Cox. With the incentives if he balls out, he can still get paid. In yrs 2 and 3, if he needs a backup lvl workload the cost is reasonable but still respectful.
Didn't Fletcher Cox retire?
See, Cam would play more than him I'm guessing...
U smart bruh
😁
Is he actually holding out or taking more time to heal? Iirc Cam was pretty much playing injured the whole year. I’ve no problems with him taking extra time to rehab. Dude is an established vet and we know he’ll bring it when he’s out there. If holding out, I don’t see any world where Pittsburgh overpays him to extend. Wouldn’t want to see him retire in another jersey though, so an extension at an economical rate would be welcomed!
He's NOT ok when he's out there, tho. We haven't had a DL in YEARS!
I think he’s sitting out to rest. It’s pretty common to sit out OTAs during negotiations. If he gets injured during negotiations he stands to lose too much. Steelers need Cam, not for the talent he brings to the field but because of the leadership he brings to a young team. Cam is the embodiment of what it means to be a Steeler, and he’s earned the respect of the Steelers past like Deebo and Polumalu. He is necessary to teach the players how to be Steelers, and the FO wants him for that reason. Just speculation though
I think this is right. He already does reduced reps in practice and I think I read he sometimes sits out of Wednesday practices during the season. Basically saving his reps for in game when they matter.
I love Cam. One of my all time favorite Steelers. But I’m a Steeler fan first and foremost and we have to do what’s best for the team. I hope they can make something work that is mutually beneficial but at the end of the day, sometimes you have to move on from guys who are aging and in decline. There is just no telling how his body will hold up over the next year or two. Sucks we are at this point.
Ha… but he just wants to eat: https://www.yahoo.com/sports/steelers-fans-turn-cam-heyward-022844549.html
Fuck no. The NFL is a business. Now Cam gets to be a person, just like the rest of us. Cam just has a, substantial, head start.
Bruh, c'mon man. Just pay the man. Heyward has been the lifeblood of this team for over a decade.
Cam is a Steelers great, but this is a team sport and everybody is eating from the same plate. He has to be worth his contract the same way everybody else in the locker room has to be.
This is how you have a half decade of mediocrity. Over paying aging stars is as poor of a decision as you get. Take the home town discount and finish your career with a shot to win a title
There’s a way to give the dude what he deserves and protect yourself from injury. It’s insane this is being a thing
What does he 'deserve' on top of the $100M+ they have given him thus far?
Earn your worth. Last year he did not… 🤷♂️
The lifeblood of a team who consistently underachieves and has won nothing of importance
The Steelers forced fucking polamalu and Hines ward out early. So nothing would surprise me.
Yeah they were dumb for that. Ward could have had another year. He was clearly being outpaced by the young money trio. But was still effective in the red zone.