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The Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for one final ride with QB Aaron Rodgers. Pittsburgh kicked off mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, one of the last steps before training camp later this summer. Steelers fans should not panic about one player’s absence from practice on Wednesday.
Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith is absent from mandatory minicamp practice on Wednesday, per Ray Fittipaldo of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. But apparently it is nothing to worry about.
Highsmith is reportedly out due to an illness, per Burt Lauten, but will continue to be at the practice facility as he has been throughout the offseason.
Fittipaldo added that Highsmith has previously been at every Steelers practice during OTAs that was open to the media. That includes Tuesday’s mandatory minicamp session.
Highsmith’s absence comes one day after his teammate, Nick Herbig, signed a five-year, $104 million contract extension. It should keep Herbig in Pittsburgh through the 2030 NFL season.
For comparison, Highsmith is on the second year of a four-year, $68 million extension that he signed back in 2023. That contract expires after the 2027 season, which means that the 28-year-old edge rusher will be new for another extension in the near future.
Highsmith is coming off one of the best seasons of his career in 2025. He logged 50 total tackles with nine-and-a-half sacks, one forced fumble, and three passes defensed last year. That is impressive considering he only played in 13 games for the Steelers.
Both Highsmith and Herbig should play a big role on Pittsburgh’s defense this fall alongside superstar T.J. Watt.
Hopefully Highsmith gets well soon so he can get back to practice as soon as possible.
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