"How old is Cam Heyward?": Chad Johnson raises red flag about Steelers $29M All-Pro DT's age amid his massive new contract demands

Cam Heyward has been in the spotlight for the Pittsburgh Steelers amid a dispute over a contract extension. Heyward, who signed a two-year, $29 million extension with the franchise in the 2024 offseason, is tied down at Pittsburgh through the 2026 season. However, the defensive tackle is holding out for a new lucrative deal.

Amid the contract standoff between the Steelers and Heyward, analyst Chad Johnson has raised some red flags around potentially handing the player a new extension.

When Johnson's "Nightcap" co-host Shannon Sharpe listed some of the highest-paid DTs in the league, including Chris Jones, Nnamdi Madubuike, Alim McNeill and a few others, Johnson questioned whether Heyward was a bit too old for a lucrative contract extension.

"How old is Cam Hayward?" Johnson asked on Thursday's episode of the "Nightcap" show (5:47).

When Sharpe said that Heyward joined the NFL in 2011 and correctly guessed the player was 36, Johnson gave his take on the Steelers star's latest demands.

"They doing it. Everybody you just named. Are they even 30 yet?" Johnson said.

The Steelers took Heyward in the first round of the 2011 draft. He has earned seven Pro Bowl honors and four All-Pro selections during his 14 years with the team.

Steelers assistant GM addresses Cam Heyward's contract holdout

Pittsburgh Steelers DT Cam Heyward - Source: Getty

On Thursday, Steelers' assistant general manager Andy Weidl opened up on Cam Heyward's contract holdout.

“Cam Heyward is a great pro, he’s an all-time great Steeler,” Steelers assistant general manager Andy Weidl said before the team’s joint practice with Tampa Bay. “He means a ton to this organization.”

In the 2024 season, Heyward blocked 11 passes at the line of scrimmage and recorded 8.0 sacks across all 17 regular-season games. Despite his age, the DT showed that he is still one of the most effective players in the NFL.

However, Heyward has not practiced with the Steelers in over a week amid a contract dispute. It remains to be seen whether the issue between the player and the team will be resolved soon.