After a 14.5-sack season in 2022, Pittsburgh Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith didn’t replicate his success at bringing the quarterback down in 2023, with seven sacks. Despite that, Highsmith was still highly productive last season, and during an appearance on Green Light with Chris Long, Highsmith talked about his mentality to never be satisfied, no matter what his sack total is. He also said that he felt last season he was rushing better at times during his 14.5-sack season, but he just didn’t get to the quarterback as much.
“Sometimes when I feel like when I’m rushing well, there was a couple games I felt like I was rushing really well last year and beating my guy and just didn’t hit home. But for me, it’s just keeping my head and keeping my confidence and knowing who I am,” Highsmith said. “Knowing I had that 14-sack year like I did a couple of years ago, that gives me the confidence to know that’s the type of player I am. And even last year there were some times where I felt I was rushing better than a couple of years ago, even though the numbers didn’t show it.”
The quality of rush is what matters, but Highsmith isn’t satisfied with any sort of number, and said he’s always striving for more.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not content at all with 14.5, not content with seven, no matter how many. That’s the mindset I want to have, and I want to always get better,” he said. “I think that’s what kills guys in this league, they get complacent. So I never wanna be that type of guy. I wanna always be striving for more and always be striving to get better.”
That’s the right mindset to have, especially with how fickle actually getting a sack can be. While T.J. Watt is obviously great at it and he’s led the league three times, it’s a stat that can fluctuate a bit from year to year. Highsmith’s 14.5-sack season came when Watt missed time due to a partially torn pectoral. Despite Highsmith’s sack total being cut in half in 2023, you could make an argument that he had a better season last year.
Getting sacks matters, and Cameron Heyward made the point that sacks are more valuable than pressures. That’s why Highsmith won’t get complacent and wants to chase as many sacks as he possibly can. But in Pittsburgh’s defense, there are guys like Watt and Cameron Heyward who can bring down the quarterback, and it’s not going to be easy for each guy to get into double digits every season.
Highsmith joked that the Steelers will jump close to the pile and yell “half” to try and get a half-sack added to their total if they get close, but at the end of the day, for a team, a sack is a sack no matter who gets it. Highsmith is capable of getting a lot of sacks, and if he didn’t have Watt across from him, he might rack up 14-plus every season. But in a defense with so many talented pass rushers, his numbers aren’t as good, but the team as a whole is better. That’s something I’m sure Highsmith is just fine with.
But no one on Pittsburgh’s defense should be content, and Highsmith made it clear that he always wants more. What he’s proven he can do helps give him confidence. Striving for more is the right mindset to have and it’ll be fun to watch Highsmith try to rack up as many sacks as possible this season.
