The Pittsburgh Steelers did the right thing by extending the contract of Outside Linebacker Alex Highsmith. At four years and $68 million, the price tag definitely came in over what we here at SCB had anticipated. As we always do, we wait until the full details of the contract are made public before weighing whether we like a deal or not. Things like guaranteed money and the overall structure are important pieces of information one needs before making an educated opinion of any contract. All this said, I tend to believe there are four reasons for this and at this price. Understand that I’ve been given no knowledge of the particulars – this is simply what I believe to have gone into the thought process.
The Watt Effect
Once Highsmith puts pen to paper, the Steelers will have two of the top ten highest paid OLB’s in the NFL. That was something I didn’t expect to write prior to this announcement. I believe that T.J. Watt’s injury and style of play had a lot to do with getting this done.
Much like Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu, Watt plays at a pace that is difficult to control. He literally gives everything he has on every single play. If he isn’t going 100 miles per hour on every play then he’s not himself. This is not something you can coach into or out of a player. They have it or they don’t and Watt has it.
The problem is that players like this often treat their bodies like crash test dummies. They have little regard for themselves and instead are willing to sacrifice themselves for the betterment of the team. Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin saw what this defense looks like without Watt in 2022 and that leads me to believe they don’t want to be stuck without a top-level OLB. Make no mistake, Highsmith isn’t Watt, but he plays with a high motor and he’ll be depended upon heavily especially at this price.
We Still Don’t Know How Khan Operates
We have a very standard reply around here when fans ask us what we think about the Steelers’ Draft Picks. “Ask us in three years.” We say this because it’s impossible to know what these players will do and we need to see some action and data before deciding if a player was a good pick or not.
The same should be said for Omar Khan. We already know that he has done some things differently than Kevin Colbert did but it’s only been a year. Perhaps Khan will be more willing to move on from players and contracts than was Colbert. Maybe this extension for Highsmith isn’t as big of a deal for Khan as many view it. The bottom line with him is that we need more time to see if this type of contract is the norm or not for him moving forward.
The “Rookie QB” Hit
There is nothing that helps a pro football team’s salary cap situation more than having your starting QB on his rookie contract. With Kenny Pickett entrenched as the starter that means Khan has more money to throw at other positions. This will last only as long as Pickett remains on that rookie deal.
Let’s be honest, if Pickett were on a second or third contract then the likelihood of Highsmith getting this deal is almost zero. Thankfully for Highsmith that isn’t the case and he’ll now be a Steeler for the foreseeable future.
The New Approach
If you haven’t figured it out by now, Mike Tomlin is all in on “old school” football. You don’t invest in the offensive and defensive lines they way they have without attempting to change the paradigm.
This is not your Ben Roethlisberger – Steelers team anymore. Tomlin wants to run the football and run it some more. If he has to throw it then he will using play-action more than we’ve seen in a long time. In other words, pound the ball, take care of the ball and possess the ball.
This approach – Tomlin hopes – will keep his defense fresh. Alex Highsmith is a big part of this plan and thus, his extension. For those of you who remember the Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher years, this was predominantly how they won games. Invest heavily on defense, be smart on offense and that formula will lead to wins.
I tend to look at Highsmith as “being in the right place at the right time.” That’s not a knock on him as a player by any stretch. He’s a really good and still rising player who is deserving of the good things in his life. There’s little doubt however that a number of factors lined up perfectly for him and now it’s up to him to make the most of them.
