NFL

Steelers sign DT Cameron Heyward to three-year, $45 million contract

Heyward is aging fast, but the Steelers wanted to make the franchise stalwart happy, so they added two years to his existing contract. It’ll pay off if the 35-year-old returns to his pre-2023 form, when he recorded a combined 21.5 sacks from 2021-22. That’s obviously no guarantee, and the most likely outcome is Heyward bounces back as a solid starter, but Pittsburgh doesn’t get the value it hoped for from this pact.

Grade: C

Jets sign CB Michael Carter to three-year, $30.75 contract extension

Not enough NFL fans know about Carter, but he’s one of the top slot corners in the league, forming an excellent trio at the position with Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed. The 25-year-old was scheduled to become a free agent following this season, and the Jets are smartly securing Carter for three additional seasons. The 2021 fifth-round pick had nine passes defensed in 2023.

Grade: B+