Armed with new contract, Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith believes 'best ball is in front of me'

On the heels of his most productive season, Alex Highsmith received a five-year, $70 million contract that makes him one of the NFL’s 10 highest-paid pass rushers.

Highsmith is determined to show the Pittsburgh Steelers he is worth the investment.

“I know my best ball is in front of me,” Highsmith said Monday at a news conference to announce the contract that was signed last week. “Even last year, I feel like I could have played way better. I look forward to continuing to improve. I want to let everyone know I’m here to work and get better.”

Highsmith took a seismic jump in his third NFL season when he totaled 14¹⁄₂ sacks — he had six in 2021 — to lead the Steelers and rank sixth in the league in that category. He had 20 quarterback hits and five forced fumbles that were tied for first in the NFL. His four strip sacks were tied for second.

Before Highsmith signed a contract that keeps him with the Steelers through the 2027 season, he was set to hit free agency in March. Now that he has newfound wealth — his deal included a $16 million signing bonus — Highsmith said he won’t get complacent.

That simply isn’t his style, said Highsmith, who was a walk-on at Charlotte before he emerged as a proficient pass rusher, which resulted in the Steelers taking him in the third round of the 2020 draft.

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“That’s something I’ll always have,” he said. “The walk-on mentality is going to stick with me forever. Being back in college and getting there in 2015 with no offers, zero stars, not even going to camp my freshman year. I wanted to outwork everybody and be the best I could be. I still carry that mindset with me every day because there are always people going to work to be better than you.”

Despite his breakthrough season in 2022, Highsmith found enough flaws in his game that he amped up offseason workouts, even spending time with defensive captain Cameron Heyward as he prepared for the season.

When Highsmith talked Monday about improving his “get off and finishing my rushes,” coach Mike Tomlin smiled and nodded. Tomlin attended the news conference along with general manager Omar Khan, Highsmith’s parents, his wife and agent.

“One thing that helps with the ‘get off’ is coach Tomlin over there. He’s always coming over first thing to spike the competition with the get-off drill,” Highsmith said. “I feel like I’ve gotten better at that over the offseason. Also in finishing my rushes.

“There would be times I’d beat guys, and I wouldn’t bend the corner well enough, and the quarterback would step up. I continue to work on the end of the rush.”

Highsmith saw how fellow outside linebacker T.J. Watt improved in that area to the extent that he tied the NFL single-season sacks record in 2021.

“There will be times when he looks like he’s not going to get there, but he does a little move, bends around the corner, and he gets there,” Highsmith said.

Highsmith totaled 11 sacks in games when Watt was healthy and just 3 1/2 in the first half when Watt sat out with a torn pectoral muscle. He doesn’t want to envision the Steelers going through another sustained stretch without Watt, but he is prepared to be more consistent if that is the case again.

“More sacks, more caused fumbles, more havoc in general,” Highsmith said when asked what awaits this season. “Just playing better details. Going back and watching my film, there are so many things I could have done better. Watching my different rushes, I could have finished with so many more sacks last year. This offseason I feel like I’ve gotten a lot stronger and faster.”

And he won’t have contract negotiations weighing on his mind when the first training camp workout takes place Thursday.

“I just had a really good feeling inside that it would get done before camp,” he said. “To be able to focus on ball, I’m so excited for it. That’s huge for me.”