The Pittsburgh Steelers have gone through some tough injury woes to begin the 2024 season. The offensive line has been decimated by injuries with rookie Troy Fautanu already being placed on injured reserve. Rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson has yet to make his NFL debut yet as he was recovering from a sprained ankle and has been inactive throughout the regular season. Throughout Pittsburgh's Week 3 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Cory Trice Jr. went down with an injury, as did edge rusher Alex Highsmith.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Linebacker Alex Highsmith pre-snap against the Indianapolis Colts on December 27, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Steelers and Chargers meeting in Week 3 is a clash of two of the best defensive units in the league, and the Steelers have taken some hits on their side of the ball. Highsmith went down with a groin injury near the end of the first half, and he headed into the blue medical tent and was deemed doubtful to return to the contest. Public Relations for the Steelers announced the injury just before halftime.
#Steelers LB Alex Highsmith has a groin injury and is doubtful to return to today's game.
— Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) September 22, 2024
Highsmith's injury is certainly cause for concern for Pittsburgh. Behind him, second-year player Nick Herbig will become more involved with the defense. Hopefully the groin injury to Highsmith doesn't cause him to miss and extended period of time, but being deemed doubtful right after the injury is not a great sign for Pittsburgh.
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Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith during a game.
Steelers will look to avoid the massive injury woes they had in 2023, which caused them to pull multiple players up from the practice squad to start meaningful games later in the year. Highsmith is clearly an important part of the defense, as his pressures help TJ Watt produce as much as he does.
Soft tissue injuries are often difficult to bounce back from quickly, so Pittsburgh may need to look for some external depth at outside linebacker and cornerback until Highsmith and Trice are able to get back to 100 percent. Pittsburgh's defense has been one of the best in the league so far in 2024, and in order to keep that status up they will need to get their major contributors healthy.
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Steelers Alex Highsmith drags down Browns' Deshaun Watson in Week 2 in Pittsburgh, PA during the 2023 season.
Steelers' Alex Highsmith Has Officially Been Ruled Out For The Rest Of The Week 3 Contest
UPDATE: Trice Jr. has been downgraded to OUT for the rest of today's game.
— Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) September 22, 2024
How do you think Pittsburgh's defense will hold up without Highsmith? Let us know in the comments below!
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