PITTSBURGH --Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith says the team’s pass rusher could look to switch sides more than often this year, largely because teams caught onto what they were doing in 2024.
This follows what T.J. Watt said at the end of last year, too. Watt said it would be imperative for him to increase his versatility heading into 2025 to unlock more pressure schemes up front.
“Yeah, I think [switching spots] is something we definitely got to include in the game, because, just like you said, teams were kind of catching on to what we were doing,” Highsmith said “If we’re able to move around to different spots and stuff like that, we’ll be able to get teams off balance — and they can’t just sit there and max protect.”
Watt talked about moving around in January. He now knows he has to renew his willingness to shift around the line and create matchups to unlock his game once again.
“I need to be more open to moving around more and trying to affect games as much as possible,” Watt said. “You guys know I wanna affect the game more than anybody, but I don’t wanna selfishly take another guy’s, go to a different spot where I feel like I could have a better rush than on the left side.”
The Steelers seem open to the idea as a team, too, which could give them more defensive options when they prepare for teams heading into a given game.