T.J. Watt had an NFL-record 22.5 sacks in 2021, a year in which Alex Highsmith, entering his first season as a full-time starter, managed to reach six. A year later, Highsmith took a sizeable jump, reaching 14.5 sacks—in a year in which Watt had a career-low 5.5.
Of course, Watt was injured for almost the entire season and missed seven games entirely because of it. The 2023 season will mark the first year in which the duo will work together at full maturity and at full strength, barring the unforeseen. And Highsmith can’t wait to see what that looks like.
“I’m looking forward to this year and how it’s gonna pan out for the both of us”, he said on 93.7 The Fan recently with Ron Cook and Joe Starkey. “I can’t wait. I know I had a good year last year, but I know I can be far, far, far better. I know I have much more ball left in me, and I can be so much better in so many ways”.
A 2020 third-round draft pick, Highsmith played most of his rookie season as a rotational backup with Bud Dupree still in Pittsburgh. While he flashed some, he was still very much growing into the player he showed in 2022, particularly as a pass-rusher with a complete repertoire.
Some of that came from working with Watt, a perennial All-Pro pass rusher who earned the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2021, the last time he got to play healthy. While Highsmith obviously benefits from working with Watt on the field, it’s also about how they work together off of it.
“It’s awesome having a guy like T.J., the best in the world at what he does”, he said. “Me just being able to learn from him these past couple years has been amazing, and we’re just continuing to develop our chemistry together”.
Looking back, there really aren’t that many games in which Watt and Highsmith have had the opportunity to play together at full capacity. Even in 2021, Highsmith spent much of the year dealing with a groin injury that he suffered just before the start of the regular season. Watt had his own bumps and bruises to contend with, but he still managed to make NFL history.
One can only hope that the dynamic duo can stay on the field together this year and stay healthy. If they do, opposing quarterbacks are going to have a lot of problems. The last time the Steelers had an edge duo as dangerous as this, they were going to Super Bowls. And that’s the idea today, to get back to that plateau by putting quarterbacks on the grass and getting that ball.
