Steelers' Alex Highsmith: Posts career-high sack mark in 2022
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Highsmith totaled 63 tackles (38 solo), including 14.5 sacks, along with five forced fumbles and a pass defense over 17 games in 2022.
Highsmith's tackle mark was slightly down in 2022 after he posted 74 tackles over 16 appearances in 2021, but he posted career-high totals in sacks and forced fumbles during his third professional season. The 25-year-old finished the year on a high note but matched his second-highest tackle total of the season while logging his second-highest sack total of the year during the Steelers' Week 18 win over Cleveland. Highsmith should continue to see plenty of work for Pittsburgh in 2023.
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Steelers' Alex Highsmith: Notches 10th sack of 2022
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Highsmith recorded six tackles (four solo), including one sack, and forced a fumble in Monday's 24-17 win against the Colts.
Highsmith increased his sack total to 10 by bringing down veteran signal-caller Matt Ryan for a seven-yard loss in the fourth quarter. The linebacker also caused Ryan to lose the ball before going down, though this fumble was recovered by offensive lineman Will Fries. Highsmith has now accumulated 3.5 sacks since fellow outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who spent seven games on IR with separate knee and pectoral injuries, returned to the field Week 10. These two should continue to form one of the league's most disruptive pass-rushing duos moving forward this season.
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Steelers' Alex Highsmith: Records two sacks in victory
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Highsmith logged five tackles (three solo), including two sacks, and a forced fumble during the Steelers' 20-10 win over New Orleans on Sunday.
Highsmith didn't record any sacks in the two games leading up to the Week 9 bye, but he was productive against the Saints on Sunday to help the Steelers pick up their third win of the season. The 25-year-old now has 8.5 sacks over nine appearances this year, which is tied for the fourth-highest mark in the league.
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Steelers' Alex Highsmith: Slated for increased role
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Highsmith will take on an increased role in the Steelers' defense after T.J. Watt (pectoral) was placed on injured reserve Thursday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN reports.
Highsmith performed well during Pittsburgh's season-opening win over the Bengals, racking up nine tackles (six solo), including three sacks, and a forced fumble. He was on the field for 83 percent of the team's defensive snaps and should have the chance to continue making an impact among the Steelers' linebackers since Watt will be unavailable for at least four weeks.
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Steelers' Alex Highsmith: Dealing with rib injury
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Highsmith suffered a rib injury in practice Monday, Missi Matthews of the Steelers' official site reports.
Details of Highsmith's injury are not yet known. The 25-year-old had a breakout sophomore campaign last season, totaling 74 tackles, six sacks and a forced fumble. He's currently projected to start at outside linebacker this season.
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Steelers' Alex Highsmith: Sacks Mayfield twice
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Highsmith recorded seven tackles -- including two sacks -- in Monday's 26-14 win over the Browns.
Highsmith and fellow outside linebacker T.J. Watt combined for six of the Steelers' nine sacks on the night. A second-year player out of Charlotte, Highsmith has excelled while moving into a starting role in 2021. Through 15 appearances, he's compiled 70 tackles, six sacks and a forced fumble.
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Steelers' Alex Highsmith: Appears to have avoided big injury
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Highsmith (quadriceps) is expected to have avoided a major injury, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Highsmith will undergo further medical evaluation Friday after having been forced out of Thursday's loss to the Vikings due to a reported quadriceps issue. Currently, the Steelers appear to believe that the linebacker is dealing with a contusion above his knee. Even if Highsmith has avoided a season-ending injury, it's uncertain whether he'll be available for Week 15 against Tennessee.
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Steelers' Alex Highsmith: Suffered quad issue
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Highsmith suffered an injury to his quadriceps and was forced out of Thursday's game against Minnesota, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Highsmith was originally believed to have suffered a knee injury, but coach Mike Tomlin clarified after the game that it was in fact a quadriceps issue. The positive news is that Highsmith will have 10 days to try to make it back onto the field for Pittsburgh's Week 15 matchup against Tennessee.
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Steelers' Alex Highsmith: Tallies six tackles
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Highsmith recorded six tackles (three solo) and 1.5 sacks in Sunday's 41-37 loss to the Chargers.
Highsmith has played at least 78 percent of the Steelers' defensive snaps in each of the last five games, and he led the team in sacks during Sunday's narrow loss. Across his first nine appearances of the season, the 2020 third-rounder has totaled 45 tackles (23 solo) and three sacks.
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Steelers' Alex Highsmith: Double-digit tackles Sunday
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Highsmith notched 11 tackles (eight solo) during Sunday's 16-16 tie with the Lions.
Highsmith recorded a season-high 11 tackles Sunday, but he only has 39 total tackles through eight appearances this season. The second-year linebacker likely isn't a viable IDP option in standard leagues.
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Steelers' Alex Highsmith: Not listed on injury report
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Highsmith (groin) was a full participant in practice Friday and is not listed on the injury report ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Packers, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
Highsmith was a limited participant in practice Wednesday and Thursday, but he appears ready to return to action after registering a full practice Friday. The 24-year-old played 42 defensive snaps and recorded four tackles in each of the first two games of the season. He will likely see a similar workload against the Packers in Week 4.
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Steelers' Alex Highsmith: Groin injury resurfaces
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Highsmith (groin) was back on the Steelers' injury report Tuesday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Highsmith had been dealing with a groin injury during training camp, but he was removed from the injury report ahead of Week 1 and logged 88 defensive snaps over the first two weeks of the season. It's a bit concerning that the 24-year-old's groin injury has resurfaced, but it may just be a minor issue that he has to deal with throughout the season. Highsmith played in all 16 games as a rookie and registered 48 tackles, two sacks and one interception.
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Steelers' Alex Highsmith: Expected to play Sunday
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Highsmith (groin) will play in Sunday's season opener against Buffalo, Steelers Director of Communications Burt Lauten reports.
Highsmith was originally listed as questionable with a groin injury, but the linebacker was removed from the status report Saturday. The 6-foot-4, 242-pounder will be ready to go as the Steelers visit the Bills in Week 1.
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Steelers' Alex Highsmith: Likely replacement for Dupree
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Coach Mike Tomlin said Thursday that Highsmith is the "next man up" in the wake of Bud Dupree (knee) suffering a torn ACL, Missi Matthews of the Steelers' official site reports.
Highsmith had already been playing a rotational role on defense prior to Dupree's injury, but Wednesday's win over the Ravens was his first game handling 100 percent of defensive snaps. The rookie third-round pick notched a highlight-reel interception back in Week 8, but he only has one sack on the year. He'll now get an opportunity to boost those numbers while working alongside T.J. Watt.
