Heyward contract aftermath: Did the Steelers overpay?

Steelers defensive end is excited at the prospect of receiving nearly $60 million over the next six years in Pittsburgh, but is he worth the hefty price tag?

Heyward, who came in 10th on our list of the Steelers' most valuable trade assets earlier this month, now becomes the second highest-paid player on the team. He's also now the 11th highest-paid defensive end in the NFL. Outsiders are probably thinking that's a lot of money to shell out for a player with 15 career sacks in four years, but Heyward is coming off a breakthrough season, sharing the team lead with 7.5 sacks in 2014. 

That number is quite an accomplishment, considering that defensive ends in Dick LeBeau's 3-4 alignment are primarily tasked with engaging blockers to free up the outside linebackers. In fact, Heyward was the first defensive end to lead the team in sacks in 11 years, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 

New defensive coordinator Keith Butler has already announced plans to free up Heyward to get after quarterbacks more, making him an even more vital cog for a defense that badly needs pressure in opposing backfields. 

Spotrac's analysis of Heyward's new contract concludes that he is worthy of being paid as a top five 3-4 defensive end. DK on Pittsburgh Sports calls the new deal the "ultimate no-brainer."

While the numbers may blow you away at first, there is more than meets the eye with Heyward, as many of his teammates attested to on Twitter when news of the deal broke Thursday night.