We have a long wait until Week 1 of the 2023 regular season and during that time, we’ll likely have a lot of discussion about the possibility of the Pittsburgh Steelers signing outside linebacker Alex Highsmith to a contract extension at some point during the summer. On Thursday, Steelers’ General Manager Omar Khan was a guest on 93.7 The Fan and during his interview he was asked about the prospects of a contract extension happening for Highsmith.
“We don’t like to talk specifically about an individual contract, but I’ll say this, he’s a Steeler,” Khan said of Highsmith, who is now in the final year of his rookie contract. “Since the day he got here, he’s been awesome. He gets better and better every year, and I really hope Alex is here for a long time.”
Khan’s response when it comes to Highsmith isn’t overly surprising. In fact, what he said on Thursday about the team’s former third round pick out of Charlotte is pretty close to what he said on the same topic back at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.
“I think you guys know our history,” Khan said of Highsmith back in February while in Indianapolis. “We have a young up-and-coming player. We don’t like to let those guys go.”
The Steelers never like to talk very openly about how contract negotiations are going with players and Khan was careful in doing just that on Thursday. That said, it sounds, and has sounded like, the Steelers really have a goal of getting Highsmith extended prior to Week 1 of the 2023 regular season.
Assuming extending Highsmith is a goal for the Steelers this offseason, it will be interesting to see how quickly that task can get accomplished this summer. Last offseason, the Steelers managed to get safety Minkah Fitzpatrick signed to a lucrative contract that at the time made him the highest paid player in the NFL at his position well prior to training camp getting underway. Might the Steelers be able to do the same with Highsmith this summer? It would be great if they can.
I have already posted several times this offseason how it is in my belief that Highsmith will indeed sign a contract extension this offseason. Possibly one that adds two or three years on to his 2023 year. I even laid out a contract prediction for Highsmith several weeks ago. Additionally, I laid out in a previous post how the Steelers three-year cash spending, which ends in 2023, sets up perfectly for a Highsmith extension this summer.
In closing, it will be a major surprise should the Steelers not get Highsmith extended by Week 1 of the 2023 regular season as it really sounds like that is the organization’s goal.
