The Pittsburgh Steelers clearly have one of the best defensive units in the NFL through the first three weeks of the 2024 season. Pittsburgh has yet to give up more than 10 points in a single game, and they are currently only giving up about 8.7 points per game on average. Pittsburgh's defense has stars at every level, but they saw one of their top defenders go down in the first half of their win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3. Alex Highsmith suffered a groin injury on Sunday, and he had to undergo further testing to get to the root of the injury.
Steelers.com
Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith attempts to bring down former Ravens running back Gus Edwards in a heated rivalry matchup.
Highsmith is a crucial part of the Steelers’ defense, and him going down is bad news for the unit. Thankfully, Pittsburgh has depth at the position with Nick Herbig coming off of the bench, and he will be the replacement for Highsmith for any time he misses moving forward. TJ Watt will still be holding his ground on the opposite side.
Steelers insider Mike DeFabo reported on Tuesday morning that Highsmith is expected to miss multiple weeks due to his groin injury.
Steelers edge rusher Alex Highsmith is expected to be sidelined “a couple weeks” with a groin injury, per team source.
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) September 24, 2024
He initially dealt with a groin injury in camp and aggravated it on Sunday. In the meantime, it’s Nick Herbig time.
When Highsmith went down in the Week 3 contest, he never returned to the game, and was ruled doubtful almost immediately after leaving the field. Soft tissue injuries like that are tricky because they can get worse quickly, and a simple re-aggravation could set a player back a few weeks. With Pittsburgh having a talented player like Herbig behind Highsmith, the organization has the luxury of not needing to rush him back too soon. The coaching staff knows they can rely on Herbig.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Nick Herbig hits the sled during OTAs in 2024.
Once Highsmith exited the game on Sunday, Herbig came in and made a near-immediate impact. He forced a strip-sack on Justin Herbert which the Chargers were able to jump on, and then got another sack on Taylor Heinicke once he entered the game. Herbig will be relied upon when the Steelers take on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4. It will be a real challenge going after a quarterback like Anthony Richardson, who is built more like a linebacker with the speed of a wide receiver.
The specific amount of time that Highsmith will be missing is unclear; all that is known is that it will be multiple weeks. This means Herbig will also start in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys and their high-powered offense. The second-year player has a chance to make a serious impact during the 2024 season.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith during practice ahead of their Week 3 contest against the Chargers in 2024.
Steelers Will Miss Alex Highsmith On Defense
Watt gets a lot of the love when it comes to the pass rush on the Steelers’ defense. He gets the sacks and a lot of the accolades, which he deserves - but a big reason for all of that is Highsmith. Highsmith has never put up staggering sack numbers like Watt, but he is consistently wreaking havoc in the pocket which allows a guy like Watt to make splash plays.
Highsmith produces a ton of pressures and is one of the highest graded pass-rushers in the league. Herbig will be able to replace some of that, but likely not all of it. It will be interesting to see what Herbig can do in his first start against the Colts, against one of the better offensive lines in the league. Herbig will also need to be a factor in the run game. The Colts ran the ball all over the Steelers during the 2023 season without their star running back Jonathan Taylor, who will be playing on Sunday.
What do you think of Highsmith missing multiple games? Let us know in the comments below!
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