How serious is Alex Highsmith’s ankle injury?
While the Pittsburgh Steelers gave up 27 points, and the defense deserved the vast majority of the blame for it, it made the necessary plays down the stretch. Particularly after taking the late lead, all phases contributed to preserving it. Unfortunately for OLB Alex Highsmith, it cost him an ankle injury.
The fifth-year veteran is having the unluckiest season of his career, having already suffered two groin injuries. While pressuring Commanders QB Jayden Daniels late, Highsmith suffered his third injury. He inadvertently stepped on Daniels’ feet with his own left foot, severely twisting his ankle.
But that is a visual description of the mechanism of injury from a layman. All I’m saying about the injury is that Alex Highsmith turned his ankle in a way very much not intended to turn. The Steelers will have to find out within the next day or so how severe the injury actually is.
Highsmith missed three games earlier in the regular season because of a previous groin injury. Now he is set to miss at least a couple more, most likely, and possibly even several. He had been playing some of his best football, coming off a two-sack game and nearly sacking Daniels on that play in question.
Fortunately for the Steelers, they are better equipped to withstand this latest injury for Highsmith. They just acquired Preston Smith via trade, and he already got a chunk of snaps in and made a play or two. Additionally, Nick Herbig should be back at least from an injury of his own, hopefully in time for the Ravens.
But there is no good timing for an injury. The Steelers will unquestionably be a weaker team without Alex Highsmith for however long he is out with injury. But that is why the Steelers attempted to prepare for such variables, the Smith acquisition looking particularly shrewd this morning. Smith technically had a sack in this game, bringing down WR Terry McLaurin on a busted trick play.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Is Russell Wilson earning a lucrative new deal next year, and is Justin Fields still in consideration? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
