Cameron Heyward’s training camp hold-in grips the Steelers as contract talks linger. Two years remain on his deal, with $14.75 million in 2024 and $14.5 million in 2025 on the line, as the defensive market shifts around him. Teammates Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay publicly back Heyward, urging the front office to meet his value so he can return Week 1. Heyward himself is blunt about his worth, signaling he’ll sit if necessary to secure a new deal. The stalemate arrives just ahead of a season where Pittsburgh’s interior pressure and run defense could take a hit.

Ramsey and Slay spoke with conviction, framing Heyward as a keystone whose absence would ripple through the locker room and on-field identity. With T.J. Watt also in the fold, the Steelers’ defense remains a test case in how star contracts influence team chemistry and fantasy value. The clock to resolve this before the regular season is ticking, and the landscape could shift quickly as signings elsewhere reshape defensive markets.