If you don’t understand NFL salaries and the salary cap in general, then many times these are conversations you should probably sit out of. When people saw that the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cam Heyward agreed to a new three-year deal worth $45 million some fans lost their minds and not in a good way.
You may be thinking… “Why did we give a 35-year old defensive lineman coming off two surgeries that much money?” This is a completely logical question but… The structure of the contract is what matters here and it’s very similar to what they did with Troy Polamalu. This season, Heyward’s contract is fully guaranteed but the next two seasons are ‘team options’ which gives the Steelers flexibility and doesn’t tie them financially. They converted his $16 million salary into a signing bonus for 2024. The deal also lowers his cap hit by $9 million.
In other words, if Father Time has his way with Heyward this season, then he gets a nice going away gift and the Steelers will not be stuck with him against their cap. It’s the right way to do business with a guy who has given so much to the organization over 14 seasons.
With Heyward’s deal finally completed, attention turns to tight Pat Freiermuth. I’m told we could expect something as early today regarding a new deal for the former second round pick from Penn State. It will not be in the upper echelon of tight end contracts but it will be fair market value for a number one guy.
That said, his concussions (3), do concern me quite a bit. This is a guy who very well could walk away from the game should he take another shot to the head and I’m nervous about how much money to stick on him. I would listen to arguments that a deal for Najee Harris might actually be just as important.
The former first rounder has not missed a single game in his career and with Arthur Smith’s run-heavy offense, he could be in line for his biggest season yet. This isn’t a slight on Freiermuth, but I would understand if Harris were the guy here rather than him. Either way, I expect something today.
