A former general manager calls out Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward over his contract drama.

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) walks the field before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
Veteran defensive tackle Cam Heyward is in the middle of a contract dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it’s unclear when it will end. With the regular season quickly approaching, a former NFL general manager went out of his way to blast Heyward over the situation.

During an appearance on “93.7 The Fan Wednesday Morning,” former Buffalo Bills general manager and Steelers executive Doug Whaley blasted Heyward for getting into a contract dispute after just signing an extension last offseason. Overall, Whaley believes that Heyward is overstepping his bounds by asking for another revised contract.

“Think about this. The 15 years of goodwill Cam Heyward has gained in the public and on the team, it’s smashed over this lack of foresight,” proclaimed Whaley. So to me, it’s an abject failure for Cam. So, I can understand why he has such vitriol from the fans because you should have [done] this before.. In the end, it’s not on the Steelers. This is on Cam Heyward and his camp.”

Heyward, who is 36 years old, most recently signed a two-year, $29 million contract with the Steelers. The deal has Cam Heyward with the organization through the 2026-27 campaign. He received $16 million in guaranteed money on the deal with a $14.7 million signing bonus.

Last season, the seven-time Pro Bowler put up ridiculous numbers, as he is still regarded as one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. He ended the 2024-25 season with 71 combined tackles (35 solo), 20 quarterback hits, 8.0 sacks, and 12 tackles for a loss.

Cam Heyward recently opened up and shared that he feels his performance from last season deserves more pay. The Steelers star also admitted that after originally signing his current contract that he told the front office that he would be back asking for more pay after having an All-Pro season. Heyward did, in fact, have an All-Pro season last year, making it the fourth time in his career that he achieved that feat.

Only time will tell if the Steelers give in or not. At the very least, Cam Heyward is a hold-in, as he’s at least arriving at the facility during training camp. However, that is more so to avoid being fined.