When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, edge rusher T.J. Watt steals the headlines. After him, guys like Cam Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joey Porter Jr. get all the attention. But Steelers fans understand just how valuable edge rusher Alex Highsmith is to this defense.
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton knows that as well. He called Highsmith a “pain in the rear” for the Broncos noting that the Steelers defense extends beyond just Watt.
What Highsmith does on defense doesn’t always show up in the boxscore but he is the guy who lines up opposite the opposing team’s left tackle all game long and gets their best.
As much as we (rightly) talk about TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith is a premier pass rusher for the #Steelers too, one who has gotten more effective and more confident each year. #Broncos’ Sean Payton gave us a LOL line on Highsmith: “That 56, he’s a pain in the rear too.”
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) September 16, 2024
Highsmith finished Sunday’s game with four tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry. He and Watt had rookie Bo Nix under constant duress in the first half and it was pressure up front that forced the game-ending interception by safety Damontae Kazee.
