An upset stomach was apparently the reason for Alex Highsmith’s absence Wednesday from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ mandatory minicamp, cooling speculation that he was upset about Nick Herbig’s contract extension. But beat writer Ray Fittipaldo believes Highsmith could express his displeasure over now making less money than Herbig once training camp begins.
“I’ll be interested to see what happens,” Fittipaldo told 93.7 The Fan’s Joe Starkey Friday afternoon about Highsmith’s training camp approach. “His representatives might be talking to the Steelers. Hey, what’s going on? Are you going to pay Alex more money? I would not be surprised if Alex Highsmith held-in during training camp. He’s done it before to get a new contract. He might do it again.”
Starkey also predicted Fittipaldo’s answer would end up here – so, hello!
For clarity, Highsmith did not hold in during training camp ahead of his 2023 extension. He may have sat out spring sessions, but his $68 million deal occurred on July 19 ahead of the team reporting to Latrobe.
Still, Fittipaldo’s answer is a notable one. He’s shown a skeptical eye to Pittsburgh’s explanation of Highsmith’s Wednesday absence. During a separate interview Thursday, Fittipaldo implied he didn’t believe Director of Communications Burt Lauten’s explanation of why Highsmith missed practice.
“It would be awfully coincidental that that happened,” Fittipaldo said. “Alex doesn’t have to talk again until training camp. So we’re not really going to find out an answer I don’t think until then.”
Teammate T.J. Watt vouched for Highsmith and said he was legitimately sick. Perhaps both things can be true. Highsmith feeling slighted or upset by Herbigh’s contract would be understandable. Highsmith has served as Pittsburgh’s starter since his sophomore season and despite missing four games last season, led the team with 9.5 sacks. Of course, Watt and Herbig also missed time, but Highsmith played well when on the field. He’s a smart pass rusher and excellent against the run.
His $17 million average yearly value isn’t just lower than Herbig’s, it arguably doesn’t fit with his placement on the NFL leaderboard. He’s tied for 27th in APY among EDGE rushers and third on his team. With two years left on his deal, it seems unlikely he’ll receive a full-blown extension this offseason. In theory, the Steelers could give him a 2026 raise like what the team once did for WR Antonio Brown and similar to DL Cam Heyward last summer.
At the least, Highsmith will look for a new deal next offseason as he enters the final year of his 2023 extension. By next summer, Highsmith and the Steelers should have more clarity on the future of its EDGE rush position and any tough decisions that might get made along the way.
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