Steelers Player Didn't Buy Team's Narrative on Alex Highsmith's Absence

On June 3, one day after Nick Herbig signed a four-year contract extension worth $100 million, the Pittsburgh Steelers claimed an (undisclosed) illness was the reason pass-rusher Alex Highsmith missed mandatory minicamp.

Not everyone on the team is buying that story.

While hosting the "Steelers Collective" on Wednesday, Noah Strackbein said he overheard a player say that he wasn't sure it was a coincidence Highsmith missed practice one day after the announced extension for a backup pass-rusher.

"There was a player that I overheard at practice--this was post practice, this was post practice so everything's straightforward--Say, "I don't believe in coincidences," and I don't know if I do either," Strackbein said.

"You know, Alex Highsmith is both the last person I would ever expect in that locker room to cause issues, and at the same time the last person that I would expect a stomachache to hold out out of practice even during OTAs."

Strackbein suggested Highsmith was more likely to be traded before the Steelers parted with Herbig or T.J. Watt.

Ray Fittipaldo, who first reported Highsmith's absence, doesn't think Highsmith will be "comfortable" playing in 2026 with a contract that holds less value than a backup.

"It's going to be a topic going into training camp," Fittipaldo said. "There is no way that you could tell me that Alex and his reps are comfortable going into the 2026 season with him being paid six and a half million dollars less per season than his backup. 

"There's just no way that's going to be kosher with them. I don't know what's going to happen. We could talk about, you know, what might happen in training camp, hold-in all that other stuff, but there is no way that they could be happy about what's going on there. "

Highsmith, who led the Steelers with 9.5 sacks last season, is currently on a four-year deal paying him $17 million per season through 2027.

Ideally, the Steelers would like to keep all three pass-rushers on the roster this season as they look to go all-in for a Super Bowl run. Whether they can do that without giving Highsmith a contract extension remains to be seen.