PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – He had a really good feeling a contract was going to get done, but it didn’t stop Alex Highsmith from being ‘super-emotional’ about signing a new five-year deal to stay with the Steelers and avoid a free agent season in 2024.
We’ve seen several prominent players over the last few years take different paths to try and leverage for a deal. The complete holdout where a player doesn’t show up at all, but that was rare. What has become common recently is the morphed sit-in where a player would show up, go through individual drills, but not team drills.
Highsmith just showed up to work. He participated in every drill during voluntary Organized Team Activities to the mandatory mini-camp. You wouldn’t have known he was pushing for a new contract. He said he was grateful and blessed to be a Steeler and a week before camp opened it worked out.
“For me, just wanting to go into training camp with the only thing on my mind is just to play ball,” Highsmith said Monday of getting the contract done. “For me, I wanted to be here during the OTAs, I don’t like to sit out. I’m excited for Latrobe and get ready to work.”
The 25-year-old outside linebacker says he has work to do. He had career-high in 2022 with 14.5 sacks, led the league with five forced fumbles and totaled 12 other tackles for loss with 20 QB hits. Yet he felt like he left a lot out on the field. He’s been studying tape to finish some of those quarterback hits into sacks. Highsmith has been working out with defensive captain Cam Heyward this offseason to improve his details and make an even bigger impact in 2023.
“This is the place for me,” Highsmith said. “I love playing here. I love this defense, the system that I’m in, the coaching staff. Year-by-year I’ve continued to get better, I know my best is in front of me. Even last year, I could have played way better. I look forward to continue to improve. I wanted everyone to know I’m here to work and here to get better.”
He’s part of the second-highest paid defense in the NFL. Highsmith said at the end of last season he felt like they really got rolling on defense. Many of the same players return with the addition of Cole Holcomb, Patrick Peterson, Keanu Neal, Elandon Roberts, a couple of draft picks and maybe most importantly for him, the addition of Markus Golden to provide a veteran third outside linebacker to the group.
The fourth-year pro feels like they could have one of the best defenses in the league but in order to prove it the team will have to get back to where it once was as an organization, a Super Bowl. They haven’t even won a playoff game since Highsmith was drafted and he said that road to improvement starts on the practice field at St. Vincent College on Thursday.
“Me and my family love it here,” Highsmith said. “Love this city. I think this city truly values hard-working people and I feel like I’m one of those people. I’m a Steeler through and through.”