ON the eve of the first regular-season week in the National Football Leaue (NFL), the Pittsburgh Steelers secured their defensive anchor for at least five more years with a historic contract.

The Steelers and All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward have finalized a five-year, US$75.1 million extension, a league source told Mid American Herald’s Jeremy Fowler late Sunday night. The monster contract yields the highest per-year average for any defensive player over the age of 30 in NFL history.

The deal includes the last year of Heyward’s current contract and has US$65.6 million in new money. The Ohio State product, a starter for the past seven seasons, has 54 career sacks and 117 quarterback hits.

(SD-Agencies)