PITTSBURGH — Cam Heyward knew his father, Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, bounced around the NFL during a decade-plus career as a running back that saw him suit up for five different teams.

As much as Heyward admires his dad, he wasn’t eager to follow him down that particular path.

Now, he doesn’t have to. Not after the All-Pro defensive tackle signed a five-year contract with the Steelers that runs through 2024, when Heyward will be 35.

The deal eliminates some unwanted uncertainty for Heyward, who admitted he was ready for a “farewell” tour this season as he prepared to enter the final season of the current deal he signed in 2015. As late as Saturday afternoon, Heyward felt pessimistic something could be worked out.

A meeting with Steelers president Art Rooney II early Sunday helped talks regain momentum. By Monday morning, the 31-year-old had a pen in his hand knowing he will likely be a Steeler for the duration of his career.

He’s well aware of how rare such stability can be. He need only to look at his father’s journey through a handful of cities — including one-year stops in three of them — as proof.

“There was a time where Atlanta was offering him a contract and he had just come off a Pro Bowl year and they were ready to go in a different direction,” Heyward said.

“And to be such a different situation than what my dad goes through, I always feel like I am competing against him and I kind of like it that way — it lets me know that he’s still there and it keeps me grounded.”

While Heyward is aware that the new contract takes him into his mid-30s, he believes he’s fresher than his resume suggests. The nine-year veteran spent a significant portion of his first two seasons as a backup to Brett Keisel.

“I think Brett always told me, ‘You’re going to keep getting better. You haven’t hit your prime,’” Heyward said. “And I really took that to heart. I felt like there’s another gear for me to hit and you know, I’m entering my 30s.”