Steelers, LB Alex Highsmith Agree to Five-Year Extension

Pittsburgh’s defensive front will remain formidable for the foreseeable future.

The Steelers and linebacker Alex Highsmith have agreed to a five-year extension that will keep the standout pass-rusher in Pittsburgh for the foreseeable future, the team announced Wednesday. 

Highsmith had just one year remaining on his rookie deal and was due to make $2.743 million in 2023. Under the terms of his new extension, the 25-year-old will receive $68 million over the next four years, putting him in line to earn $70.743 million across the next five seasons, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

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Coming off of the best season of his young career, Highsmith will now have a deal that places him among the top 10 highest-paid edge rushers in the NFL, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. 

Sources: The #Steelers and star pass-rusher Alex Highsmith have agreed to terms on a huge 4-year, $68M extension to pay him among the Top 10 highest paid edge rushers in the NFL. Coming off a career year with 14.5 sacks, Highsmith cashes in and PIT locks in a key player. pic.twitter.com/LnPsB14Jax

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 19, 2023

A third-round pick out of Charlotte in the 2020 draft, Highsmith has quickly made his mark in the NFL with the Steelers. After earning the full-time starting job in his second season, Highsmith burst onto the scene as one of the game’s most dynamic pass-rushers in ’22, when he amassed a career-high 14.5 sacks while starting all 17 games for Pittsburgh. He also forced five fumbles, which tied for the most in the league last season. 

With Highsmith now in the fold long-term, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin will have a running mate to pair with former Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt for at least the next few seasons, making Pittsburgh’s defensive front one of the most formidable in the league.