In a bit of an unexpected move this offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers handed edge rusher Nick Herbig a four-year, $100 million contract extension. Herbig, a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, was everything the team could have asked of him and more, as he grossly outplayed his draft position.
Herbig posted a breakout statistical campaign in 2025 before earning a massive new deal this offseason. In 15 games last year, Herbig racked up 30 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles, an interception, and a defensive touchdown.
Steelers fans wanted nothing more than for Herbig to stick around for the foreseeable future. But his new contract just gave Alex Highsmith every reason to be upset with his current deal.
Highsmith has been a starter for the Steelers since 2021, and over the past three years, Herbig has been his backup. In fewer games last season (13), Highsmith had more tackles (36), sacks (9.5), and tackles for a loss (15) on nearly an identical number of defensive snaps (634 for Highsmith and 610 for Herbig).
But while one of these rushers just earned $25 million per season with $21 million fully guaranteed, the other is averaging $17 million per season and, apart from his prorated signing bonus, hasn't had a penny in guaranteed salary since 2023, per Over the Cap.
Alex Highsmith now has every reason to ask the Pittsburgh Steelers for a raise (or even a trade)
Highsmith is well respected as a high-character player. There's no doubt that he's happy for Nick Herbig earning his bag. However, there's a case to be made that Highsmith has been better than both Herbig and T.J. Watt over the past two seasons, and he's now getting paid a fraction of what they're making.
Of Highsmith's $20.1 million cap number for the 2026 season, $14.5 million of this is base salary. Meaning that if he were to suffer a catastrophic injury, he would miss out on these game checks. Quite frankly, he has minimal financial insurance over the next two seasons if he misses time due to injuries.
Though Highsmith is under contract through 2027 and risks losing paychecks if he were to hold out, the Steelers have made it clear they are going all in to win in 2026 (hence the return of a 42-year-old quarterback). Not having Highsmith on the field would only be detrimental to their cause.
Highsmith's agency could seek a pay raise from the Steelers or even go as far as to ask for a trade. In doing so, a team trading for Highsmith would no doubt work toward handing him a long-term extension.
But this isn't what either party wants.
As a compromise—and as a means to keep Highsmith happy in a fleeting window—the Steelers and Highsmith's agency could mutually agree to rip up the last two years of his contract and rewrite his final two years of a deal. Instead of $30 million in base salary over the next two years with no guaranteed money, Pittsburgh could give him roughly $40 million over the next two years with $20 million guaranteed.
This is less than Highsmith will want, but it's a reasonable compromise for both sides. Additionally, this revised contract wouldn't prevent the Steelers from trading Highsmith next offseason if they decide to turn the page and rebuild.
The Pittsburgh Steelers want to win, and they know they need Highsmith if they want to have any sort of shot to make a run this season.
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