Alex Highsmith Sends Blunt Message to Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig to huge extensions in back-to-back offseasons, and Alex Highsmith hopes he can stick around long-term with the only franchise he's ever known as well.

Speaking with reporters after the team's third practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Highsmith stated that he wants to remain a "Steeler for life" and that his focus is on helping deliver another Lombardi Trophy to the organization and the city of Pittsburgh while also touting the strength of their EDGE rusher group this season.

"That's my dream," Highsmith said. "I do want to be a Steeler for life. For me, I just wanna go out there and do whatever I can to bring another Super Bowl to this team, another Super Bowl to this city. I do want to be a Steeler for life, so for me I'm just excited for this year and just to go out there and like I said, our group, we're the best group in the league EDGE-wise. The three of us, and Jack [Sawyer], so I'm just really excited for the group that we have."

Nov 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (56) takes the field against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Can Steelers Actually Sign Highsmith to Another Long-Term Deal?

Highsmith is entering the penultimate campaign of a four-year, $68 million extension he signed in July 2023 following his 14.5-sack 2022 season.

The 28-year-old has returned plenty of value on that deal and has long been one of the more underrated EDGE rushers around the NFL, largely due to sharing a position group with an eight-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer in Watt.

With Herbig's emergence leading to a four-year contract worth $100 million and Watt in the midst of a three-year, $123 million pact, however, carving out more space under the cap to fit in a new deal for Highsmith may not be the smartest course of action for Pittsburgh.

He's certainly deserving of a substantial raise, but paying big money to three EDGE rushers is essentially unheard of. That doesn't mean the Steelers are going to jump at the opportunity to trade Highsmith, though envisioning him on the roster beyond 2027 is tough.

Perhaps Pittsburgh values keeping its current room together to the point that it's willing to pay Highsmith, and having a quarterback on a rookie contract would make it easier if that's in their plans come the 2027 NFL Draft.

Still, while Highsmith's short-term future as a Steeler doesn't seem to be in jeopardy as the team looks to contend in 2026, satisfying his goal of remaining in Pittsburgh for the rest of his career feels unrealistic given where the situation currently stands.

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