The longtime Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle signed a new three-year contract on Tuesday, which will keep him with the team through the 2026 season. The financial details of the contract were not shared.
The 35-year-old Heyward, who was a first-round draft pick by the Steelers in 2011, was about to start the last season of his current deal.
During the offseason and training camp, he had made it clear that he wanted to continue playing beyond 2024 and stay with the Steelers. However, he also said he might consider other teams if an agreement with the Steelers could not be reached.
It turns out, he will stay with the Steelers after all.
“How unlikely! Yet here we are,” Heyward posted on X, along with a photo of himself and Steelers general manager Omar Khan.
Heyward was named a defensive captain for the 10th time in his 14-year career on Monday, making him only the third player in the team’s history to achieve this.
The six-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro, and 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year winner had a tough season last year with injuries, managing only two sacks in 11 games.
On Monday, he spoke about his desire to return to the high level of performance he had earlier in the decade when he was one of the top pass-rushing interior linemen in the league.
“I’ve had to eat (criticism) and absorb it,” Heyward said. “Everybody’s entitled to their opinion, but I want to make their opinion wrong, and I think I just look forward to playing good football.”
Heyward starts 2024 with 80 1/2 sacks, the highest number ever by a Steelers defensive tackle and the ninth highest in NFL history by an interior defensive lineman.
