Cameron Hayward remains in Pittsburgh for four more seasons. The defense veteran and organization are finalizing a $ 71.2 million four-year extension linking him to the club through 2024.
Hayward was selected in the first round Steelers back in 2010, and with his new contract, his career should end in black and gold. Hayward has been named three Pro Bowl teams and twice named the first All-Pro team. A longtime defense captain, Hayward has averaged 54 career sacks and 397 tackles in black and gold.
The son of Craig “Iron Head” Hayward, Cam was born in Pittsburgh after a distinguished career as a father in that of Pitt Panther. With the expansion, Hayward will forever be linked to the city of steel.
Hayward was expected to earn $ 9.5 million by 2020, and the maximum wage was over $ 13 million. Exactly how the renewal will affect its maximum number of players this season will be determined upon disclosure of exact financial figures. Depending on the structure, the Steelers could save more than $ 5 million to hit the wage cap in 2020, but the team may decide to structure the deal to keep earnings lower in 2021 as NFL teams prepare for a lower wage cap due to reductions of fans are allowed into the stadiums.
Hayward posted the following video to his social media account shortly before the story went public.
The new expansion should keep Hayward in Pittsburgh for the rest of his career. Hayward turned 31 in May, so his new contract means the Steelers will retain his rights until he turns 36.
The move concludes a landmark day in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers have re-acquired former Drafts. Josh Dobbs and Sean Davis before announcing the signing of 14 players to their training team.
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