As the start of another edition of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe draws near, the focus for the Black and Gold remains on an extension with emerging fourth-year outside linebacker Alex Highsmith.
In recent years, extensions with star players such as outside linebacker T.J. Watt and wide receiver Diontae Johnson dragged on into training camp and the preseason, though safety Minkah Fitzpatrick’s extension was signed in June of last year, shortly after GM Omar Khan took over his current role.
With training camp drawing closer, there’s been very little news one way or another about the Highsmith contract extension and reports about how negotiations are going, creating some anxious moments within the Steelers’ fan base.
For Highsmith, who is coming off of a career-high 14.5 sacks, he remains confident a deal will get done keeping him in Pittsburgh long-term with an organization that he loves everything about.
“I’m still confident that it’s going to get it done,” Highsmith said regarding his contract negotiations, according to the Wilmington Star New’s Michael Cuneo. “I’m excited for what the future holds and know that I want to be in Pittsburgh because I love everything about the organization.”
There’s no reason for Highsmith to not remain confident that a deal will get done.
Historically, Pittsburgh takes care of its own when it comes to new contracts, especially ones that the organization drafted and invested in developing over time, much like Highsmith.
Highsmith was a third-round pick out of Charlotte in the 2020 NFL Draft and came in behind Watt and veteran Bud Dupree at the outside linebacker position. Eventually, Highsmith was inserted into the starting role late in his rookie season after Dupree tore his ACL in a win over the Baltimore Ravens at then-Heinz Field.
Since then, Highsmith has been the guy opposite Watt and has played rather well off him. In addition to his 14.5 sacks last season, he earned the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Week in Week 10 thanks to his dominant 2.5-sack performance against the Saints in a 20-10 win, kickstarting the 7-2 second half from the Black and Gold.
Highsmith also tied for the league lead in forced fumbles last season with five and really looked like a high-end pass rusher.
The good news with Highsmith’s potential extension is that it shouldn’t break the bank and won’t make him the highest-paid player at his position, like the extensions for Watt and Fitzpatrick did. Instead, his extension should be in line with the one Johnson signed last summer, making him the 16th-highest paid receiver in football.
Steelers Depot’s Dave Bryan put together an early projection on a Highsmith contract extension back in early April and had Highsmith slotted for a two-year extension between $15 and $17.25 million, which would make him the 13th highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL, according to Over the Cap.
That two-year extension would keep him under contract through the 2025 season and in turn would allow him one more potential bite of the proverbial apple ahead of his 30th birthday as a free agent.
As part of Bryan’s contract projection for Highsmith on a two-year extension, he has Highsmith receiving a signing bonus of $15 million and a new 2023 base salary of $1.25 million, with that also being fully guaranteed. The cash take for Highsmith in 2023, according to his projection, would be $16.25 million, the only fully guaranteed money of the deal.
Such a first-year layout in Bryan’s projected deal for Highsmith would produce a new 2023 salary cap charge of $6,458,073. Highsmith is already scheduled to have a 2023 salary cap charge of $2,951,073, so that would call for an increase of $3.507 million, which shouldn’t be hard for the Steelers to handle.
Negotiations take time, but there has been nothing to suggest that a deal won’t get done. Khan has stated publicly multiple times just how much the Steelers love and value Highsmith and want him to be a piece for Pittsburgh long-term. It’s just about coming to the right deal for both parties and signing on the dotted line at this point.
