Steelers Alex Highsmith believed to have avoided major injury vs Vikings

Alex Highsmith #56 of the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
Alex Highsmith #56 of the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) /
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The Week 14 loss was hard on the Steelers. Fortunately, there’s some encouraging news as Alex Highsmith is believed to have avoided a major injury against the Vikings. 

As if the loss to the Vikings could get any worse, it was disheartening watching both of Pittsburgh’s starting edge defenders leave the game with injuries. With his absence, T.J. Watt realistically no longer has a shot at Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record, and he probably just lost his shot at Defensive Player of the Year this season as well.

Alex Highsmith was also injured in this game, and this could have been so much worse. On Thursday night, it was feared that Highsmith might have suffered a serious leg injury upon leaving the contest against the Minnesota Vikings. Fortunately, Ian Rapoport offers good news regarding his health.

Rapoport confirms that Highsmith’s injury is not believed to be major and he will undergo more tests but is believed to have a bad contusion. If this proves to be the case, the Steelers could shut him down for the remainder of the season… and it may be time to start thinking about doing the same for other players on the roster.

Steelers need to protect their players at this point

With Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes plummeting after falling to 6-6-1 on the season, we have to assume that there are going to be some struggles with one of the toughest stretches in all of football remaining on their schedule. The Steelers still have games against the Titans, Chiefs, Browns, and Ravens to close the season.

Highsmith is no doubt going to miss time, and Watt could be joining him on the sidelines with another groin injury. If this is the case, the Steelers genuinely need to consider shutting some of their star players down for the year.

In the NFL, you never like to concede defeat. While Mike Tomlin isn’t going to be tanking anytime soon, he should think about the long-term health of his players. He should send T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith to IR, and he might want to close up shop this season for some quality veterans in order to avoid a major injury that could linger into next season. Cameron Heyward seems like a perfect candidate for this.

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With so many healthier teams who stand much better shots in the AFC Wild Card race, the Steelers need to start thinking long-term and considering the health of their players. It might be time to shut a few of their top guys down for the season.