The Steelers came away with a 34-32 win over the Jets in what was an instant classic. It was offense vs offense, and we might’ve gotten a glimpse of vintage Aaron Rodgers yet again. But this was far from a perfect display from the Steelers’ defense. There were cracks, and DL Cam Heyward saw right through them.

Heyward wasn’t a fan of the Steelers’ run defense against the Jets, and he made it clear. “I think we have to understand how people are going to attack us. We put some stuff out there that’s unacceptable, but we get to clean it up on Sunday. Guys have got to get off blocks. Upfront, if we get doubled, we still have to maintain our gaps, and everybody has an assignment,” he said. Yes, the win doesn’t cover the cracks. The tape and numbers show us a team that got gashed on the ground.

The Jets ran 39 times for 182 yards (4.7 yards per carry) and had 3 rushing TDs against Pittsburgh. That’s exactly the kind of soft run defense Cam Heyward wasn’t willing to let slide. “Run defense isn’t just an upfront job, it’s from the backend perspective. It all works together. We can’t make excuses for it, we have to make it better. Physicality, we could be a lot better. I’m not shying away from that. Being accountable, too,” he added. The front produced just one sack and five tackles for loss in Week 1. So, no, the defense wasn’t consistently winning at the line of scrimmage. For a unit that wants to control games, those are the cracks that can become cliffs.

Breece Hall made a wreck out of that defense, racking up 107 of 182 rushing yards on 19 carries, and Justin Fields chipped in 12 rushes for 48 yards and two rushing TDs. Also, Cam Heyward wasn’t the only player who saw right through those issues.

LB Patrick Queen was equally critical. “If we keep playing like that, we are going to get our face mashed in. It’s that simple. I call it like it is, and we played like absolute trash,” he remarked. And $123 million richer T.J. Watt echoed that sentiment. “They had over 100 yards at half time. That’s obviously not acceptable. Especially when we knew that was the game plan coming into it,” he added.

But while Heyward was busy holding teammates accountable for what went wrong on the field, he also entered Week 1 with his own off-field storyline finally resolved.

The end of Cam Heyward’s contract saga

Cam Heyward’s contract drama was one of the last big storylines hanging over the Steelers, and you could argue it was the biggest of them all. He spent camp in a very public “hold-in” while pushing for a raise, and his interview before the Jets game didn’t exactly leave fans feeling optimistic.

“I wish I had a straight answer for you right now. All I can tell you is I’ve had to have a lot of tough conversations with my family. There’s a place for everything,” he said. Well, on the eve of the Jets matchup, the Steelers and Cam Heyward finally came to terms on a revised deal. But the best part? It’s all based on merit.

The reworked deal tacks on over $3 million in new-money incentives for this season. That means the 36-year-old All-Pro can earn up to $18 million in 2025. That’s the reason he stepped on the pitch vs the Jets. And this deal tells you exactly how much the Steelers value him.

The Steelers rarely ever take another look at contracts that have more than a year left. The Steelers struck a last-minute compromise with their longtime defensive co-captain to get it done. Heyward already pocketed his $13.45 million roster bonus and will pull in $1.3 million in base salary this season. But there’s no revision on the contract length. He’s signed through 2026.

The agreement took a load off the All-Pro, who claimed that he’s “sleeping a lot better.” But hopefully, that relief will translate on the field as the Steelers go up against the Seahawks with a better run defense and fresher Cam Heyward.