Steelers' injury woes hand Cam Heyward the perfect leverage play

The Pittsburgh Steelers received some concerning news exiting their preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers. Rookie defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, who was carted off the field, has an MCL sprain and will miss approximately a month. Then on Sunday, we learned that starting nose tackle Keeanu Benton is dealing with an upper-body injury.

Early reports suggest the Steelers are eyeing a Week 3 return for Harmon (at the earliest), and while Benton is optimistic that he'll be ready for the season opener against the New York Jets, there's no guarantee he suits up for this game.

Now veteran defensive tackle Cam Heyward could choose to be a hero in the eyes of Steelers fans or use the team's recent defensive line injuries as the ultimate leverage ploy.

Cam Heyward could use the latest Pittsburgh Steelers' injuries for his financial gain

Before I go any further, I am in no way advocating for this to happen, nor do I think Heyward would pull such a move. However, the long-time defender has been vocally disgruntled with being paid under market value (even though he just signed a two-year extension last offseason), and this could be a sinister opportunity to get the pay increase he's earned.

With the Steelers potentially down two of their top three interior defenders, a lot rides on the 36-year-old Heyward in a pivotal season-opener.

Pittsburgh is set to play the New York Jets on the road—a team determined to pound the football on the ground. Justin Fields is one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the NFL, and when you pair him with the bruising combination of Breece Hall and Braelon Allen in the backfield, we can see an outcome in which the Steelers have trouble defending the run.

The last thing Mike Tomlin wants to do is have a slow start when his team has the easiest slate of the schedule at the beginning of the season. Pittsburgh is favored over New York in the opener, but not by much.

So where does Cam Heyward come into play with the team's early-season success? It's simple: the All-Pro defensive lineman could threaten to sit out games until the Steelers cave to his contract demands.

This is a risky play, and one that would cause tension between Heyward and the organization. But considering the injuries to Harmon and Benton, Heyward may finally have the leverage in his corner to pull this off.

The Pittsburgh Steelers know that Heyward is an essential piece to their defense, and the results of potentially resorting to a trio of backup defensive tackles for help in Week 1 could yield catastrophic results for the team.

I expect Cameron Heyward to be the hero in this scenario—the veteran leader who steps up to save the defense in their time of need. However, I can't help but think that Heyward might now have the perfect leverage to receive the pay increase he's been seeking for months.