While the Pittsburgh Steelers have undergone significant changes throughout the roster in the 2025 offseason, there aren’t too many contracts on the books that draw a ton of concern. Well, all except for one in particular.
True to the fact that the Steelers have the highest-paid defense in the NFL, the top five highest-paid players on the roster are on defense. But one of those players is far from a star player, and by association, holds the worst contract on the team.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' worst contract currently belongs to Alex Highsmith
It’s not as though Alex Highsmith is a bad player, undeserving of a solid second contract with the team that drafted him in the third round out of Charlotte in 2020. He earned that contract through promising play and production early in his career. It certainly seemed that Pittsburgh had found a solid bookend to the defensive front opposite of T.J. Watt.
But the current reality is that Highsmith’s production has dropped considerably, and with the structure of his contract, it’s becoming a concern that Pittsburgh may have overpaid for a slightly above-average player. He’s set to make $18.6 million in 2025, making him the team’s fourth-highest-paid player. His contract runs through 2027, where he’ll see slight increases in his base salary each year.
The tough aspect of his contract is that it holds no team option or void years, which doesn’t give Pittsburgh much of an out if his production continues to crumble. Over the past two seasons, Highsmith has recorded just 13 sacks, less than the 14.5 he tallied in 2022, the season that earned him the contract extension.
With more poor production, Highsmith may find himself moved to make way for more promising players
While Highsmith has come up in trade rumors, it’s never been indicated by the team that they want to move on from him. Still, if his production continues to wane, Omar Kahn may have to seriously consider putting him on the trade block to ensure the team can afford other players worthy of new contracts in the future.
Aside from Watt and likely retirement candidates Aaron Rodgers and Darius Slay, Isaac Seumalo and Jaylen Warren are the only notable players looking for new contracts before next season. But two years from now, that list grows considerably with Khan’s first draft class up for renewal. Patrick Queen, Chris Boswell, Broderick Jones, Joey Porter, Jr., Keeanu Benton, Darnell Washington, Nick Herbig, and Beanie Bishop will all be looking for new deals ahead of the 2027 offseason.
Herbig's mention is notable, as he could be the force to drive Highsmith out of town. Herbig has surged as a fan favorite with his 8.5 sacks over the past two seasons, which is on par with the eight Highsmith tallied in his first two years despite having 16 more starts.
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If Highsmith is still struggling to be productive this season, the Steelers' front office may have no choice but to look at moving on from him early to help afford those new contracts. Of course, some big expenses like Rodgers and presumably Cam Heyward will come off the books in the meantime to provide some breathing room.
Still, success could be a double-edged sword for Highsmith. If he can reach numbers closer to his 2022 breakout, that could raise his value enough to warrant a trade anyway to clear the way for Herbig to take over while giving Pittsburgh more draft capital in the future. When it comes to the future of the Steelers' defense, no one has a murkier outlook than Highsmith.