PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith was not at the team’s minicamp practice on Wednesday due to an illness, according to team spokesman Burt Lauten.

Lauten noted that Highsmith will continue to be at the practice facility as he has been all offseason.

Alan Saunders of Steelers Now reports that Highsmith did report to the Steelers facility this morning before being excused.

With Nick Herbig receiving a four-year, $100 million contract extension on Tuesday, there’s been speculation that Highsmith could be on the trade block. Highsmith’s absence did not have anything to do with Herbig’s new deal, however....

Season 16, Episode 145 of The Terrible Podcast is now in the can. In this Wednesday morning show, Alex Kozora and I get right into discussing the Pittsburgh Steelers finally signing free agent S Darnell Savage to a one-year contract on Tuesday. We also discuss the player waived to make room for Savage on the […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers had plenty to celebrate this week after locking up one of their defensive cornerstones for the foreseeable future. But just one day after announcing a lucrative extension for outside linebacker Nick Herbig, another key pass rusher was notably absent from mandatory minicamp.

According to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Steelers edge rusher Alex Highsmith was not present at Wednesday’s practice, the second of the team’s three-day mandatory minicamp.

The timing immediately raises questions.

On Tuesday, Pittsburgh agreed to a four-year, $100 million extension with Herbig, ensuring the ascending pass rusher remains in black and gold through...

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy is thrilled to have outside linebacker Nick Herbig signed long-term.

On Tuesday, Herbig and the Steelers agreed to a four-year, $100 million contract extension that includes $42 million in guaranteed money. That contract will add onto the end of his $3.674 million in salary that he is still owed in 2026, the final year of his rookie contract.

The Steelers have three elite edge rushers in Herbig, T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. All three have received hefty paydays, too.

“I think the most important thing is, when you look at the business...

Update: 12:55 PM ET — Alex Highsmith’s absence is due to an illness, according to Steelers PR director Burt Lauten. “Sources: Alex Highsmith is not present today at practice due to an illness but will continue to be at the practice facility as he has been all offseason. Confirmed by me,” Lauten wrote. Sources: Alex […]

Aaron Rodgers’ return for a second season gives the Pittsburgh Steelers something they’ve lacked for years: continuity at quarterback. And no player may benefit more than DK Metcalf. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo, that continuity is already paying off in a tangible way. “I think the chemistry between DK and Aaron is much […]

Nick Herbig’s new contract is all but official. Now, the Pittsburgh Steelers must find a way to get him on the field to justify his $100 million price tag. A positive problem for Pittsburgh to have, and one the team was well underway to addressing even before yesterday’s news. “You don’t draw up scheme as […]

Pittsburgh Steelers first-year head coach Mike McCarthy was glad to have outside linebacker Nick Herbig at the first day of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. Now, he’s thrilled to have him locked up long term after Herbig agreed to $100 million extension hours after the Steelers’ first minicamp practice. “I think the most important thing is, […]

Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro defensive tackle Cam Heyward did not hold back on the Cleveland Browns after they sent two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster trade.

“I think Aaron’s definitely happy to not have that guy in our division. I could care less. I like competing against talent,” Heyward said on his Not Just Football podcast.

Heyward then took a jab at the Browns.

“I don’t think anyone wants to be in Cleveland,” he joked.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Garrett has racked up 412...

The Monday trade of star pass rusher and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett was a shock, as was the massive contract extension Pittsburgh Steelers OLB Nick Herbig agreed to on Tuesday. Based on those two moves, it has many questioning the future of one T.J. Watt in the Steel City. Watt […]

An NFL player’s jump from Year 1 to Year 2 should be noticeable after a full offseason to properly prepare without the distraction of draft season hindering progress. Jack Sawyer seems to have taken advantage of the extra time with a new look entering his second season. “Jack Sawyer, I think has maybe put on […]

Welcome to Steelers Morning Rush, our new daily short-form podcast with Alan Saunders, giving a longer perspective on a single news topic surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League.

Today, it’s the new contract handed out to edge rusher Nick Herbig, what it means for fellow outside linebackers Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt, and whether that means a trade is now inevitable.

Alan breaks it down:

This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Fallout from the Nick Herbig Deal | Steelers Morning Rush