The Pittsburgh Steelers are likely to be without outside linebacker Alex Highsmith for about a month.
Highsmith suffered an ankle injury during the Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and did not return to the contest.
After the game, head coach Mike Tomlin revealed that Highsmith is dealing with a high-ankle sprain. As NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted, that's typically an injury that takes four to six weeks to get back from.
That could mean Highsmith is headed to injured reserve, which will knock him out for at least the next four games.
Alex Highsmith injury update
Assuming that timeline holds up, this will be the second straight season that the veteran edge rusher misses significant time. He also missed six games in 2024.
It’s a high-ankle sprain for Alex Highsmith, per Mike Tomlin, which can mean 4-6 weeks and a trip to IR. https://t.co/D3H2Ls70No
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 14, 2025
The good news for the Steelers is that they have an adequate replacement in fellow outside linebacker Nick Herbig, who has proven to be an above-average reserve during his young career.
After tallying three sacks in his rookie campaign in 2023, the former fourth-round pick posted 5.5 in 13 games last season.
Herbig made his 2025 debut in Week 2 after sitting out last week due to injury and finished with two tackles for loss and one pass defensed.
While Highsmith will be missed, the Steelers are in better shape than most teams would be thanks to Herbig and, of course, T.J. Watt.
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