Alex Highsmith Sees Writing on The Wall With Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have come out and attempted to put a lid on the Alex Highsmith situation before the speculation could get too far out of control.

Burt Lauten, the Steelers' senior director of communications, announced that Highsmith is not at practice for the second session of mandatory minicamp due to an illness but will continue to be at the facility moving forward.

Sources: Alex Highsmith is not present today at practice due to an illness but will continue to be at the practice facility as he has been all offseason. Confirmed by me. https://t.co/8n4sHF1awT
— Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) June 3, 2026

It's certainly possible that Highsmith is under the weather and thus felt like giving it a go at practice wasn't worth it.

The timing, however, is extremely suspicious. In the aftermath of Nick Herbig's four-year, $100 million extension, Highsmith's footing within the organization isn't nearly as firm as it was beforehand, and the argument could be made that he is now expendable amongst a crowded group of EDGE rushers in Pittsburgh.

What Should We Believe Is Happening With Highsmith?

For starters, there's no reason to believe Highsmith isn't sick. To add on top of that, Steelers Now's Alan Saunders reported that he arrived to the facility before eventually being excused.

He did take the field and participate on the first day of minicamp, however, and the fact that he isn't out there immediately following Herbig's deal being signed raises some eyebrows, as mentioned above.

Highsmith is now the lowest-paid player between himself, Herbig and T.J. Watt with an average annual value of $17 million on his contract. Furthermore, his deal will expire after the 2027 season while Watt's ends in 2028 and Herbig's two years later in 2030.

Oct 26, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (56) celebrates a stop on third down against the Green Bay Packers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

It would be fair and reasonable if Highsmith feels as though he's deserving of another payday and a raise with how Pittsburgh has rewarded his counterparts. After all, he did lead the team in sacks with 9.5 in 2025 despite playing in only 13 games.

Whether it's related in some shape or fashion to his absence or not, it's also possible Highsmith sees the writing on the wall to some extent.

From an AAV standpoint, the Steelers are set to pay Watt, Herbig and Highsmith a combined $78 million, a mark that is only outdone by the Houston Texans at $90.1 million with Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter.

It's a luxury to have three above-average, dynamic pass rushers, and Pittsburgh wouldn't have signed Herbig long-term if it wasn't open to keeping the entire group together.

At the same time, a Highsmith trade makes far more sense now than it did a week ago.

Finding a landing spot for Watt is a tough assignment due to the fact that he's older than Highsmith (31-years-old vs. 28-years-old), is making more money and is under contract for an additional year while also coming off a bit of a disappointing campaign, meaning the latter is more likely to eventually be moved.

Nothing is imminent by all accounts, and there aren't any guarantees, but Highsmith's situation has opened up a can of worms regardless of the reasoning for his absence.

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