Steelers' Alex Highsmith Faced With A Challenge To Be "Batman All The Time"

Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker, Alex Highsmith got off to a very hot start in 2022 in the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. He tied the team record for sacks in a game (3) set by James Farrior in 2004. He followed up the hot debut totaling 14.5 sacks in the season to lead Pittsburgh and place fifth most in team history during a singular season. He also tied for the league lead with five forced fumbles. After a giant leap up from his first campaign as a starter in the 2021 season, expectations from the coaching staff, but also from Highsmith himself, are sky high. 

Pittsburgh already has one of the league's premier pass rushers in AP 2021 Defensive Player of the Year TJ Watt. Now Highsmith has a chance to join him if he can keep up his form from 2022 after signing a massive four-year, $68 million extension over the summer. Watt will command a ton of attention from opposing offensive lines, but outside linebacker coach Denzel Martin said via Mark Kaboly of The Athletic that he expects Pittsburgh to have two number one pass rushers. 

"I told him I don’t care if T.J. is here or not, he still has to be the No. 1," Martin said. "If it is 1A, I don’t care. He has to come and bring it. He has to be Batman all the time. He can’t be looking around to be Robin.”

Pittsburgh has a rich history of running impressive tandems at outside linebacker. In 1993, when Kevin Greene arrived as a free agent from the Los Angeles Rams, he and Greg Lloyd made for a tough task for opposing defenses. In their three year partnership from 1993 to 1995, they combined for 56 sacks with Lloyd making the AP All-Pro team in each year and Greene making it in 1994.

In 1999, the Steelers drafted Joey Porter Sr. in the third round and he formed a tough duo to stop with fellow third round pick Jason Gildon. Porter ascended to starting role in 2000 and registered 10.5 sacks to go with a safety and a fumble return for a touchdown. Gildon added 8.5 sacks of his own. Both hovered around the 10 sack mark in each year after that until Gildon left for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2003.

The next pairing Pittsburgh put together was with James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley. The duo were an unblockable force from 2008 to 2010 registering a combined 71.5 sacks. Harrison took home the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2008 with seven forced fumbles and 16 sacks, while Woodley registered 11.5 sacks himself and adding a fumble return for a touchdown. In 2009, both made the AP All-Pro Second Team with Woodley leading the league in tackles for a loss. 

Another pair that perhaps didn't have the same impact as those listed above was Watt and Bud Dupree. They're the last duo to both have double digit sack totals, achieving the feat in 2019. Dupree suffered an ACL tear in 2020 and Pittsburgh decided to move on.  

Steelers' Highsmith Striving To Best His 2022 Totals

While Coach Martin is setting the expectations high for Highsmith, he is also striving to achieve great heights in 2023. After a career year in 2022, Highsmith wants to take another step in 2023. 

He said via Kaboly that his goal in 2022 was to reach double-digit sacks. He got there by Week 11. In 2023, the objective is to be better than he was the year before. 

"My goal is to surpass what I did last year," Highsmith said. "I try not to listen to the outside noise and if anything, it is more motivation and fuel. I wanted that double-digit mark last year and got that. Now I want to do more than I did last year."

If Highsmith can get somewhere in the neighborhood of the 14.5 sacks that he had last year and Watt returns to his old self after last year's injury, the Steelers are looking at having a tandem to match Batman and Superman, not Robin.  

What do you thin Highsmith can do in 2023? Will he and Watt be the best rushing duo in the league this season? Comment below!

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