Is Cam Heyward Injured? Steelers DL Forced to Leave Field After Tough Blow vs. Jets

Cam Heyward’s status for Week 1 against the Jets on Sunday was a mystery right up until the season opener eve. And no, it wasn’t an injury holding things up. It was actually his contract dispute with the Steelers. However, just a few hours before kicking the campaign to end the postseason drought off, the Pittsburgh team and its veteran lineman hammered out a revised deal, clearing his way for him to suit up. But now that the game’s underway at MetLife, the bigger question is whether he’ll actually finish it.

The 36-year-old went down against the New York team during the final quarter of the game. Heyward got shaken up midway through the final quarter, right when Justin Fields scrambled toward the end zone. Right after that went down, Heward dropped to one knee and stayed down for a bit before trainers came over. The one silver lining? He managed to walk off the field on his own.

There’s still no official word on how serious the injury is, but the veteran hinted it might be something with his head of eye. And judging by the discomfort on his face, it’s clear this wasn’t just a routine knock. Losing one of the most important players on the defense worked as fuel to the fire for the struggling Steelers’ defense throughout the game. Just as Cam Heyward exited the field, the Jets completed the drive with another touchdown.

And then came the good news for the Steel City. On the Jets’ two-point attempt after their touchdown, the 36-year-old was right back out there—and he played a part in a huge stop for the Steelers. Over 350 miles away from MetLife Stadium, the Steelers’ fans took a sigh of relief. The scare might’ve been brief, but the bigger storyline is whether Heyward can actually hold up for the whole season under that new deal.

Cam Heyward and the Steelers ended their contract dispute

The Steelers have a knack for being reluctant when it comes to talking about the contracts, especially when the contract has one or more years remaining. Cam Heyward faced the same issue this offseason. But to put it in context, we’ve to take the trip down memory lane to 2024. The veteran had one year left on his deal and demanded a contract extension. However, at that time, Heyward had little leverage.

The DL sustained an injury in the 2023 season and was limited to just 11 games. Contract talks dragged on through camp and the preseason, with the Steelers holding out until days before the season opener to finalize things. In the end, he still walked away with a three-year, $45 million deal. “I understand that I signed a contract last year,” Heyward said last month.

“But to be completely honest with you, when I signed that, I told them, ‘When I have an All-Pro year, expect me to come back.’ … I think everybody kind of giggled a little bit. But in my head, I used it as motivation to go out there and prove it.” Heyward stuck to his words and earned All-Pro recognition last season (eight sacks, 56 pressures, and 12 tackles for loss). No doubt his contract demand this offseason was palpable.

Fast forward to the Steelers’ final practice before the Jets game—Heyward talked to the media but stayed pretty vague about whether he’d actually suit up in Week 1. “I wish I had a straight answer for you right now,” he said. “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.”

However, both parties finally revised the deal that added more than $3 million in new-money incentives this season, per The Athletic. The veteran has already pocketed his $13.45 million roster bonus and will pull in another $1.3 million as his base salary this season. With being healthy or not? That remains to be seen.