PITTSBURGH — Standing within the doorway of the media room on the UPMC Rooney Sports activities Complicated, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin grinned and nodded as linebacker Alex Highsmith detailed his journey to the four-year, $68 million extension he signed every week in the past.
Now one of many top-10 highest paid edge rushers, Highsmith is the newest instance of the long-standing Steelers’ draft-and-develop technique. He embodies the blue-collar perspective of Tomlin and the group.
“The walk-on mentality is one thing that is going to stay with me perpetually,” Highsmith mentioned Monday. “Simply being again in school and getting there in 2015 with no affords, zero stars, and never even going to camp my freshman yr … I simply needed to outwork everyone and be the most effective that I may. I nonetheless carry that mindset with me at present, as a result of I do know there’s at all times individuals which are going to work to be higher than you.”
Chosen within the third spherical of the 2020 draft, Highsmith had a breakout season in 2022 with 14.5 sacks — nearly double his first two seasons mixed — and proved to be a complementary piece to 2021 Defensive Participant of the Yr T.J. Watt.
“He is an elite Robin,” Tomlin mentioned throughout obligatory minicamp. “You realize, as we are saying, we wish to problem him in that approach. He is rising. He is making a reputation for himself on this factor. He seeks perfection. His maturation has been one which we anticipate and count on to be fairly trustworthy with you. We put high quality individuals on this program,they usually work inside, they usually simply merely get higher, and their tape does as effectively and he is an instance of that.”
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In signing Highsmith, the Steelers proceed to speculate premium {dollars} of their protection, bucking a league-wide development of spending large cash on offensive weapons. Division-mates Baltimore,
Cleveland and Cincinnati all rank within the top-10 in offensive spending with a minimum of $121 million allotted to that facet of the ball, whereas the Steelers are twenty first with $105 million going to the offense, per Over the Cap.
After main the league in defensive spending with a payroll of $109.9 million a yr in the past, the Steelers are fourth this season behind the Chargers, Payments and Seahawks with a protection that checks in at $120.3 million, per Over the Cap. And with Watt on the books for $29 million, the group is third in edge rusher spending for the 2023 season.
The cash, although, provides the Steelers sought-after stability ready that’s skilled turnover. Whereas the Steelers have an extended custom of elite exterior linebacker play, they haven’t entered a season with two starters enjoying on a minimum of their second contracts since 2014 when Lamar Woodley and Jason Worilds had been the staff’s beginning exterior linebackers.
“The blokes that we now have on protection, I feel we’re among the finest — if not the most effective — … within the league,” Highsmith mentioned, requested concerning the stress that comes with the excessive price ticket. “And I feel after we performed to that capacity — I feel final yr we began enjoying a few of our greatest ball in the direction of the tip of the yr. Everybody was wholesome. — so I actually assume we might be one in all not the most effective models within the league, and so we simply acquired to apply like that. It begins this Wednesday at Latrobe.”
Now, each Watt and Highsmith are below contract for a number of seasons with Watt scheduled to hit free company in 2026 and Highsmith in 2028. The Steelers additionally inked one other exterior linebacker in Markus Golden throughout free company, giving the place the type of high quality depth it’s lacked since Bud Dupree was on the roster with Watt and Highsmith in 2020.
“The previous couple years, having the ability to play alongside T.J., I really feel like we have continued to get higher collectively and proceed to develop extra cohesiveness,” Highsmith mentioned. “Being with him has simply been superior as a result of I proceed to be taught from him. I proceed to choose his mind about stuff, about speeding the passer and stuff like that, so it has been cool, actually creating chemistry with him. I stay up for the havoc that we’ll trigger this yr.”
