Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a wealth of outside linebackers, having signed budding pass rusher Nick Herbig to a contract extension last week. Between him, T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, that group has piled up 176 career sacks, but former NFL quarterback Chris Simms believes one of those guys could be on his way out.
“It’ll be interesting to see how they kinda play them all and do this, and whether somebody like an Alex Highsmith gets moved now, because, again, we know there’s still a market for D-ends,” Simms said last week on “Pro Football Talk.” “We know. We know the Eagles are still looking. We know the Cowboys are still looking. I don’t know about the Bears, but I would think. They’ve been in the conversation a lot. There’s probably another team or two that’s still out there.
“I think teams are still gauging the Maxx Crosby situation and seeing how that goes. And so, yeah, it wouldn’t be crazy that teams are calling to ask about Alex Highsmith.”
Highsmith posted 9.5 sacks last season, the second-most in a single go-round in his six-year career. He was absent from one of the Steelers’ minicamp practices last week, sparking speculation that he’s upset with his own financial situation, but the team said he was ill.
Florio believes Chicago should be the first to pick up the phone to call Omar Khan. Defensive end Montez Sweat led the Bears with 10 sacks a campaign ago, while defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. had six.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Analyst Lays Out Trade Market for Steelers Alex Highsmith
