On the same day that Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt was released from NFL concussion protocols, his teammate and fellow starter Alex Highsmith was as well. This means both guys should be ready to go on Saturday when the Steelers go on the road to take on the Indianapolis Colts.
Highsmith went down early in last Thursday’s loss to the New England Patriots with what was originally called a neck injury but was unable to return.
Pittsburgh is going to need big games from Watt and Highsmith if they hope to break this two-game losing streak and stay in the playoff hunt. Highsmith has had a disappointing year after signing a huge new contract. Coming off of a season where he set a career-high with 14.5 sacks, Highsmith only has 6.0 this year. That’s not to say he hasn’t been productive in other ways but all pass rushers are ultimately measured by sacks.