The Pittsburgh Steelers have ruled out EDGE Alex Highsmith (ankle) for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings. Though the team’s final injury report won’t be released until tomorrow, the Steelers made the announcement on Thursday night, noting Highsmith did not travel with the team to Dublin, Ireland.
The news is early, but comes as little surprise. During his Tuesday press conference, head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed Highsmith would not play due to the high ankle sprain he suffered in Week Two’s loss against the Seattle Seahawks. He did not practice the first two days this week.
Nick Herbig will again start in Highsmith’s place. Jack Sawyer and DeMarvin Leal will serve as Pittsburgh’s top backups. Both played well against the run in Week Three’s win over the New England Patriots.
Based on their Twitter/X account, the team is leaving now for Ireland. It will be a roughly 8-hour flight to Dublin. The team will land Friday morning and practice later in the day.
Highsmith suffered the injury 10 plays into the Seahawks game. He showed up on the injury report ahead of the game with an ankle injury but played before bowing out. It’s the latest in an increasing line of lower-body injuries that have cost him playing time. Injuries limited him to just 11 starts a season ago, and he’s dealt with groin and ankle issues this season. He has made nine tackles and one sack this year.
Highsmith will look to get healthy through the team’s Week Five bye to play in Pittsburgh’s Week Six contest against the Cleveland Browns. It will be the team’s first AFC North matchup of the season.
Pittsburgh will release its final injury report sometime tomorrow. CB Joey Porter Jr. and SS DeShon Elliott are two key names to watch, working in a limited capacity due to injuries that have caused them to miss the past two games. TE Jonnu Smith and RB Jaylen Warren also practiced in a limited capacity on Thursday. While likely to play, their statuses are worth watching the rest of the week.
