Alex Highsmith’s ‘walk-on mentality’ helped him earn $68 million extension – ESPN – NFL Nation

PITTSBURGH — Standing within the doorway of the media room on the UPMC Rooney Sports activities Advanced, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin grinned and nodded as linebacker Alex Highsmith detailed his journey to the four-year, $68 million extension he signed per week in the past.

Now one of many top-10 highest paid edge rushers, Highsmith is the most recent instance of the long-standing Steelers’ draft-and-develop methodology. He embodies the blue-collar perspective of Tomlin and the group.

“The walk-on mentality is one thing that is going to stay with me perpetually,” Highsmith mentioned Monday. “Simply being again in faculty and getting there in 2015 with no gives, zero stars, and never even going to camp my freshman 12 months … I simply needed to outwork all people and be one of the best that I may. I nonetheless carry that mindset with me at this time, as a result of I do know there’s at all times folks which can be going to work to be higher than you.”

Chosen within the third spherical of the 2020 draft, Highsmith had a breakout season in 2022 with 14.5 sacks — virtually double his first two seasons mixed — and proved to be a complementary piece to 2021 Defensive Participant of the 12 months T.J. Watt.

“He is an elite Robin,” Tomlin mentioned throughout obligatory minicamp. “You understand, as we are saying, we prefer to problem him in that manner. He is rising. He is making a reputation for himself on this factor. He seeks perfection. His maturation has been one which we anticipate and count on to be fairly sincere with you. We put high quality folks on this program,they usually work inside, they usually simply merely get higher, and their tape does as effectively and he is an instance of that.”

In signing Highsmith, the Steelers proceed to speculate premium {dollars} of their protection, bucking a league-wide development of spending large cash on offensive weapons. Division-mates Baltimore,

Cleveland and Cincinnati all rank within the top-10 in offensive spending with at the very least $121 million allotted to that facet of the ball, whereas the Steelers are twenty first with $105 million going to the offense, per Over the Cap.

After main the league in defensive spending with a payroll of $109.9 million a 12 months in the past, the Steelers are fourth this season behind the Chargers, Payments and Seahawks with a protection that checks in at $120.3 million, per Over the Cap. And with Watt on the books for $29 million, the group is third in edge rusher spending for the 2023 season.

The cash, although, offers the Steelers sought-after stability able that’s skilled turnover. Whereas the Steelers have a protracted custom of elite exterior linebacker play, they haven’t entered a season with two starters taking part in on at the very least their second contracts since 2014 when Lamar Woodley and Jason Worilds had been the workforce’s beginning exterior linebackers.

“The blokes that now we have on protection, I believe we’re among the finest — if not one of the best — … within the league,” Highsmith mentioned, requested in regards to the strain that comes with the excessive price ticket. “And I believe once we performed to that potential — I believe final 12 months we began taking part in a few of our greatest ball in the direction of the top of the 12 months. Everybody was wholesome. — so I actually suppose we will be one in every of not one of the best items within the league, and so we simply acquired to observe like that. It begins this Wednesday at Latrobe.”

Now, each Watt and Highsmith are below contract for a number of seasons with Watt scheduled to hit free company in 2026 and Highsmith in 2028. The Steelers additionally inked one other exterior linebacker in Markus Golden throughout free company, giving the place the form of high quality depth it’s lacked since Bud Dupree was on the roster with Watt and Highsmith in 2020.

“The previous couple years, having the ability to play alongside T.J., I really feel like we have continued to get higher collectively and proceed to develop extra cohesiveness,” Highsmith mentioned. “Being with him has simply been superior as a result of I proceed to study from him. I proceed to select his mind about stuff, about dashing the passer and stuff like that, so it has been cool, actually creating chemistry with him. I stay up for the havoc that we’ll trigger this 12 months.”