QB Aaron Rodgers’ Steelers Decision Not Imminent
The Steelers’ 2025 season ended with a bit of a whimper. Losing on a Week 17 trip to Cleveland to keep the Ravens in the AFC North race then beating their division rival and moving on to the playoffs by means of a missed 44-yard field goal attempt at the buzzer, Pittsburgh’s flame finally went out at the hands of a stifling Texans defense that held them to six points at home. The questions immediately turned to what direction was the team heading in. 
Since Ben Roethlisberger‘s final season in 2021, the quarterback carousel in Pittsburgh has failed to set up the future of the franchise. Their first attempts post-Roethlisberger were to set up that future by drafting first-round Pitt-product Kenny Pickett, but a three-way battle that included former first-round pick Mitchell Trubisky and Steelers backup Mason Rudolph failed to produce a winner over time. So in 2024, the team abandoned the develop plan and jumped on the pro scouting train, signing veteran Russell Wilson and trading for Justin Fields.
That combination seemed to be working for the franchise, until it didn’t. With Wilson starting the season injured, Fields led the team to a 4-2 start, and when Wilson took over, Pittsburgh won six of its next seven games. The season came crashing down, though, as the Steelers’ limped into the playoffs on a four-game losing streak before losing their first-round playoff game for their fifth-playoff trip in a row. The team stuck with the free agent route last year but moved on from Wilson in favor of veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The Steelers 2025-pursuit of Rodgers was a long, drawn-out process. Over the course of four months, Rodgers casually moved through the headlines, mulling retirement and weighing offers from this team or that team. As other franchises grew impatient or began to see the writing on the wall, that writing pointed closer and closer to Minnesota or Pittsburgh, but despite a couple of efforts from the team on different occasions to get some clarity, an answer didn’t officially come until early June, forcing the Steelers to maneuver much of the offseason, including the draft and free agency, without a concrete plan on who was playing quarterback.
So after the 2025 season ended on a bit of a downward trajectory, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Rodgers would be mulling over his future again, and once the team moved on from long-time head coach Mike Tomlin, it seemed impossible that Rodgers was long for Pittsburgh. That was, until the Steelers replaced Tomlin with Rodgers’ head coach of 13 years in Green Bay, Mike McCarthy. All of the sudden, the signs were pointing right back to Pittsburgh for Rodgers, but ever the patient customer, Rodgers has refused to say anything definitive on the matter.
During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers provided sound bites that conveyed little urgency or imminency. “We’re sitting here. It’s March 4th. Free agency starts in a week,” he dictated. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with my wife…just been laying low…But I’ve talked to (McCarthy), I’ve talked to (general manager Omar Khan). There’s been no deadline that’s been put in front of me. There’s been no contract offer or anything, so there’s nothing that I’m having to debate between.
“I’m a free agent,” he concluded. “And, again, I’m enjoying time with my wife and enjoying this part of the offseason, and I think there’s conversations to be had down the line, but right now, there hasn’t been any progressive conversations.”
In one of his many recent interviews, Khan also spoke on the situation, per Mark Kaboly, a correspondent for The Pat McAfee Show. “I mean, I don’t really want to say it has to be done by (free agency),” Khan explained. “You know, we’d like to have an idea, but it’s just, it isn’t going to go like it did last year…He knows how we feel, and I think we know how he feels about us. It was a good experience for both sides.”
That doesn’t sound entirely like two sides on the same page. It sounds more as if the Steelers are pretty itchy to know what their situation is going to be moving forward but don’t want to pressure Rodgers. Mike DeFabo of The Athletic asserts that team is working under the assumption that “Rodgers is going to return for 2026, but until he gives them a definitive answer, they can’t speak in certain terms.” He adds that Pittsburgh believes it will “get an answer from Rodgers in the next few weeks,” which could mean a lot of things.
Part of the reason the Steelers are eager to know their situation is so they can address other contract issues with confidence in what their numbers are going to look like. Particularly, DeFabo mentions that the Steelers are hoping to secure two of the team’s premier pass rushers alongside T.J. Watt. Khan recently expressed his desire for the team to reach an extension agreement with outside linebacker Nick Herbig. Two issues arise from this desire. First, Herbig may not want to sign an extension just yet. He may be interested in betting on himself to continue improving his output each season in the hopes of really cashing in next year.
The second issue stems from 2023’s extension of fellow outside linebacker Alex Highsmith. The prevailing thought has been that it wouldn’t be practical for the Steelers to commit that much cap space to Herbig, Highsmith, and Watt, and that someone would end up on the outside looking in, but Khan’s response to notions that he couldn’t extend Herbig while retaining Highsmith was simply that “you can’t ever have enough (edge rushers).” This is likely why the Steelers are working to extend Herbig now, making it more feasible to stomach all three contracts. It will be interesting to see if Pittsburgh can land on a deal that sufficiently satisfies Herbig without breaking the bank.
Steelers OLB T.J. Watt Hospitalized With Lung Injury
DECEMBER 12: Testing at the Steelers’ facility revealed a “tiny hole” in one of Watt’s lungs, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports (video link). That led to his hospitalization, and the issue has been addressed. A final determination for Week 15 has not yet been made, but Pelissero deems it unlikely that Watt – who merely needs time to recover at this point – will be available for Monday.
DECEMBER 11: Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt has been hospitalized due to a lung injury, per a team announcement.
The injury happened while Watt was receiving medical treatment at the Steelers’ facility on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Head coach Mike Tomlin said on Thursday (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor) that Watt is still in the hospital undergoing additional testing which will determine his status for their Week 15 matchup against the Dolphins.
Watt, 31, has started all 13 of the Steelers’ games this season with an 82% snap share. He is having another excellent season with seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss, which rank first and second on the team. He has also been credited with 43 pressures, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required) which lead the Steelers and rank 19th in the NFL.
In other words, an absence from Watt would be a major blow to Pittsburgh’s defense, though they are positioned to withstand it in the short-term. The four-time All-Pro almost exclusively lines up on the left side of the defense with Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig splitting snaps on the right side. One of the two – likely Herbig – can fill some of Watt’s snaps off the left edge
Rookie Jack Sawyer will also be in line for some more opportunities. The second-round pick has appeared in every game this year but played just 182 snaps (19.4% snap share) without much production. Sawyer has primarily rotated in for Watt on the left side and should see an uptick if he cannot play. That could also result in a practice squad elevation for fourth-year defensive end DeMarvin Leal.
The Steelers will be monitoring Watt’s condition carefully over the next few days to evaluate his availability for Monday night’s game.
Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith Suffers High Ankle Sprain
SEPTEMBER 15: Rapoport reports Highsmith is not expected to land on injured reserve. As such, a return within the next four weeks will be possible.
SEPTEMBER 14: The Steelers experienced a letdown in their home opener today with a loss to the visiting Seahawks, but a player lost due to injury could have longer-lasting reverberations over the next few weeks. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, head coach Mike Tomlin disclosed that pass rusher Alex Highsmith has suffered a high-ankle sprain. 
High-ankle sprains don’t have a great reputation in the NFL. The injury typically holds an average recovery timeline of around 10 weeks. There’s always a chance that Highsmith’s could be a more minor occurrence, but even that would likely mean a four- to six-week absence with a stint on injured reserve.
This has been an unfortunate trend for Pittsburgh over the last year or so. In 2024, Highsmith missed two separate three-week periods. A groin injury sidelined him after only three games, then after three games back on the field, an ankle injury forced the Charlotte product out for another three games.
Highsmith has been a key contributor to the Steelers defense since getting drafted by the team in the third round in 2020. After coming off the bench as a rookie, Highsmith has been a full-time starter in every year since. Before last year’s absences, he had only missed a single game. He exploded onto the scene in his third season with a 14.5-sack performance, earning himself a four-year, $68MM extension.
He hasn’t reached double-digit sack totals since then, but he routinely contributes to a defense that features other talented pass rushers like T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward. The Steelers like a lot of the pieces they have in place along the defense and young backups like Nick Herbig and fourth-round rookie Jack Sawyer could step up big in Highsmith’s absence. Still, a potential IR stint could make things difficult as the injuries continue to stack up in Pittsburgh.
Steelers’ Alex Highsmith To Undergo MRI; Multi-Week Absence Likely?
Alex Highsmith has already missed three games this season, and he could be in line to spend further time on the sidelines. The fifth-year edge rusher exited Sunday’s Steelers win with an ankle injury, and further testing will take place to determine the full extent of the damage.
While team and player await those results, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes an absence of two to three games is “likely.” Highsmith dealt with a groin injury earlier in the year, but he returned in time to play in the Steelers’ last three games. Missing him for any further period of time would deal a blow to the team’s edge rush.
Highsmith has formed a highly effective tandem with T.J. Watt during his Pittsburgh tenure. The former third-rounder emerged as a full-time starter in 2022, posting six sacks that year. Highsmith followed that up with a career-best 14.5 (along with five forced fumbles), and last season he added another seven to his career total. That production landed him a four-year, $68MM extension and raised expectations for the current campaign.
The 27-year-old has totaled three sacks so far this year, and he will be counted on to remain a starter once he is healthy. Pittsburgh has made it a priority to have veteran depth in the OLB3 role during recent seasons, however, and 2024 is no different. The Steelers acquired Preston Smith ahead of last week’s trade deadline after the Packers granted his request to be moved. The 31-year-old has 156 games to his name, so he will be capable of filling a first-team role for the time being.
As Dulac adds, Nick Herbig is expected to be back in the lineup this week. He has made a pair of starts in his five appearances this year (which, of course, came before the Smith addition), so he will be a candidate to handle a rotational role along the edge while Highsmith recovers. The latter’s return will give Pittsburgh an impressive list of options to complement Watt late in the year.
Pittsburgh’s win on Sunday leaves the team atop the AFC North with a 7-2 record. A crucial divisional matchup against the 7-3 Ravens looms, and not having Highsmith available for that game would be notable for the Steelers’ defense. Further updates on his prognosis will be worth watching closely.
Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith Expected To Miss Multiple Weeks
OCTOBER 3: Pittsburgh is targeting a Week 7 return for Highsmith, ESPN’s Mark Kaboly reports. That would leave him out of the lineup for upcoming matchups against the Cowboys and Raiders but allow him to be back in place with time to spare before the bye.
SETEMBER 24: A groin injury will sideline Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith for multiple weeks, according to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. Highsmith initially dealt with the injury during training camp and aggravated it during Pittsburgh’s Week 3 win over the Chargers on Sunday.
Highsmith’s injury is not considered major, nor will it require surgery, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, so the veteran could avoid a stint on injured reserve. Still, this will deal a blow to one of the NFL’s best defenses, which has relied on Highsmith as T.J. Watt‘s top wingman for a while.
2023 fourth-round pick Nate Herbig is expected to take over Highsmith’s role, giving the former Wisconsin linebacker his first starting gig in the NFL. Herbig has appeared in 17 games, making 23 tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles during a rookie year spent as a rotational edge defender behind Highsmith and Watt.
Herbig took advantage of his opportunity after Highsmith went down on Sunday, finishing the game with two sacks, including a strip-sack of Justin Herbert after beating Chargers Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater.
Highsmith’s injury leaves the Steelers thin at outside linebacker, with only Jeremiah Moon backing up Watt and Herbig. Rookie linebacker Payton Wilson has the versatility and size to slide outside and play off the edge, a role he occasionally filled at North Carolina State. Practice squad outside linebacker Adetokunbo Ogundeji will likely receive some game day elevations as well.
Highsmith is in the second year of a four-year, $68MM extension signed in 2023 after his 14.5-sack breakout campaign in 2022. The former third-round pick recorded just seven sacks last year and only one over the Steelers’ first three games this season.
While the Steelers are fortunate Highsmith is not facing a long-term absence, his time away will give the team a chance to develop a more well-rounded pass rush beyond relying on its two star edge rushers. Expanded opportunities for Herbig and Moon – plus a potential exploration of Wilson’s versatile blitzing ability — could help Pittsburgh in the long run, giving the 3-0 team more options to pressure opposing quarterbacks later this season.
Latest On Steelers’ Depth At OLB
Outside linebacker is not a position of need for the Steelers. Star pass rusher T.J. Watt led the NFL last year with 19.0 sacks, and though the team’s other starter Alex Highsmith only notched seven last year, he showed what he’s capable of with a 14.5-sack campaign in 2022. Those two are going to be on the field a majority of the time, but after watching Watt miss the playoffs last year and seeing an aged Markus Golden depart in free agency, Pittsburgh has made a number of offseason moves to solidify their depth at the position.
Last year’s rookie fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin, Nick Herbig, is the only other edge rusher returning from last year’s roster. According to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic, Herbig is getting first dibs at the OLB3-role in 2024. In his first season of NFL play, Herbig saw less than a quarter of the snaps that Watt and Highsmith did but was up there in playing time with Golden. Despite the limited snaps, Herbig made the most of his time on the field, logging 27 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks, three quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.
That means this year’s rookie third-round pick, NC State’s Payton Wilson, will not be the first outside linebacker off the bench in his first season. Wilson also wasn’t necessarily known as a pass rusher in Raleigh, so it might just mean that Herbig and Wilson will sport different roles in 2024. Herbig may be the first player off the bench in pass rushing situations, and Wilson may be the first guy in during rushing or drop back scenarios. Wilson is on the roster as an outside linebacker for the Steelers as Patrick Queen, Cole Holcomb, and Elandon Roberts patrol the middle. Wilson was disruptive in college, sporting 48.0 tackles for loss to his name, but only logged 15.0 sacks in that time. His versatility as a linebacker with seven career interceptions and 20 passes defensed in college mean that Wilson and Herbig could both be utilized off the bench equally but in very different situations.
Another offseason addition the team made was the claiming of former division-rival Jeremiah Moon off of waivers. A former undrafted player from Florida, Moon spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad for the Ravens but made one start in eight game appearances in 2023. Like Wilson, Moon has never been much of a pass rusher but was an effective tackler during his time in Gainesville.
Joining the position room as rookies alongside Wilson are undrafted signees Julius Welschof and Jacoby Windmon. Windmon, who saw time in college at UNLV and Michigan State, is more in the mold of Wilson and Moon. Welschof, who attended school at Michigan and Charlotte, is a former defensive lineman, though he wasn’t much of an established pass rusher in college.
While Golden only played 70 more snaps in the regular season than Herbig in 2023, when Watt was injured in the playoffs, that OLB3 role became huge. With Watt being no stranger to injury over the past two seasons, who will man that role going forward is an important distinction. As of right now, Herbig is getting the first opportunity to earn that role. He’ll likely hold onto that responsibility as the top pass rusher off the bench while Moon and the rookies fill more versatile roles on the defense in 2024.
Contract Details: Brown, Phillips, Highsmith
The Eagles recently made A.J. Brown the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history. We already knew a number of details from that incredible contract, but thanks to Will Laws of Sports Illustrated, we now know of a wild detail with unprecedented consequences.
Laws points out that Brown’s deal includes a void year at the end of the contract that will hold a $53.52MM cap hit. This is actually a common contract technique the Eagles have been employing in recent years that allow them a ton of flexibility financially. Several other players have massive voidable cap hits like Jalen Hurts ($97.55MM), DeVonta Smith ($35.78MM), and others.
This likely doesn’t mean that someday the Eagles will suddenly be committing a triple-digit cap figure to players no longer on their roster. That could only happen if they see every contract through to completion. More likely, Philadelphia will be extremely strategic about how long to hold on to those players, cutting them at times that will allow for ideal cap savings. For instance, starting in 2027, the Eagles will be able to cut Brown and receive more in cap savings than they’ll be losing to dead money.
Here are a few other contract details on recent deals around the NFL:
- Thanks to the veteran salary benefit, the Buccaneers‘ new deal with defensive end William Gholston will have the minimum $1.21MM base salary that will only count for $1.15MM against the salary cap, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports. Gholston will also be able to earn an active roster bonus of $167.5K in Week 1.
- The Texans recently signed linebacker Jacob Phillips to a new contract. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 tells us the deal is for one year and $1.15MM. He’ll receive a base salary of $1.06MM and a signing bonus of $45K. He can earn additional per game active roster bonuses of $2,941 for a potential season-total of $50K.
- This last bullet is actually details on a restructure that the Steelers pulled off recently with pass rusher Alex Highsmith, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The team was able to convert $8.75MM of Highsmith’s 2024 base salary into a signing bonus while adding a void year to the end of his four-year deal, $68MM deal. As a result, Pittsburgh clears out $7MM of cap space.
Steelers’ T.J. Watt Placed In Concussion Protocol
DECEMBER 13: Watt has been officially cleared by an independent neurological consultant and is no longer in concussion protocol, per the team’s senior director of communications Burt Lauten. There is still the matter of the NFL and the NFL Players Association’s review of the Steelers’ handling of his concussion check in the team’s Week 14 contest with the Patriots, but Watt’s removal from the protocol likely hints at no issue.
After Watt took a knee to the head from Elliott and returned after a brief check-in on the sideline, he reported concussion like-symptoms the next day. Obviously a potentially dangerous situation, the league decided it would investigate how the team handled Watt’s potential head injury. We’ve seen lots of seemingly concussed players come out of protocol within a week, so despite his clearance, Watt still may have suffered a concussion and returned to play. The league and the NFLPA has set out to determine whether or not that is the case.
DECEMBER 9: The Steelers’ depth on the edge could be tested next weekend. Following news that pass-rusher Alex Highsmith was placed in concussion protocol, the Steelers have announced that T.J. Watt has also been placed in protocol (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com).
The Highsmith news didn’t come as a huge surprise. The linebacker exited Thursday’s loss to the Patriots with a neck injury and didn’t end up returning to the game.
The Watt development is a bit more unexpected. The star defender briefly exited Thursday’s game after taking a knee to the face from Ezekiel Elliott on the first play from scrimmage. Florio writes that Watt was briefly checked for a concussion before being cleared to return on the same drive. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes that the medical staff also took an extended look at Watt’s jaw/mouth, and Florio says Watt was spotted wearing a tinted visor at one point.
Mark Kaboly of The Athletic passes along that Watt arrived at the team facility yesterday with symptoms, necessitating his placement into concussion protocol. Both Watt and Highsmith will now need to be cleared by an independent neurologist before returning to practice.
Fortunately, the Steelers have time on their side. Kaboly notes that the Steelers are off the next three days. They’ll resume practices on Tuesday in preparation for their Week 15 game against the Colts next Saturday night.
Steelers Extend OLB Alex Highsmith
The Steelers are authorizing another big-ticket extension on their defense. Alex Highsmith is no longer going into a contract year, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reporting he and the Steelers have agreed on a four-year extension (Twitter link). The Steelers are working fast here, having announced the contract.
Long rumored to be an extension candidate in Pittsburgh, the young edge rusher agreed to terms on a four-year deal worth $68MM. This will lock down the T.J. Watt sidekick through the 2027 season. Highsmith, who is coming off a career-best season, will collect $27.7MM guaranteed and earn $38MM over the deal’s first two seasons, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Highsmith will turn 26 next month.
Both team and player had conveyed optimism about this deal being done for months. Back in December of last year, an extension for the former third-round pick became a likelihood. The Steelers prefer to hammer out deals with their extension candidates the summer before their contract years, which always made this the likeliest window for the Highsmith accord to transpire.
“I know I am a Pittsburgh Steeler through and through, and just to be a part of this amazing organization for four more years means the world to me, to my wife, to my whole family,” Highsmith said, via Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. “This is where I want to be. This is where I want to play ball.”
Pittsburgh came into the week with Watt’s $28MM-per-year deal topping the edge defender market and Minkah Fitzpatrick tied to the No. 2 safety contract. With Cameron Heyward still on a lucrative extension, the Steelers continue to make major investments in their defense. No longer carrying a franchise-QB contract, the Steelers are taking advantage of Kenny Pickett‘s slot deal. They have agreed to extensions with Highsmith, Fitzpatrick and Diontae Johnson over the past year.
The Steelers franchise-tagged Bud Dupree in 2020, keeping him for a sixth season, but began to develop his successor by using a Day 2 pick on Highsmith that year. Highsmith began his career behind the 2015 first-rounder but replaced him alongside Watt after a November ACL tear. Dupree left for the Titans in 2021, and Highsmith began a steady ascent. That climb crested last year, when the Charlotte alum produced a 14.5-sack season that included an NFL-leading five forced fumbles. Highsmith has 22.5 career sacks.
This agreement marks a bit of a throwback move for the Steelers, who are now one of just two teams carrying two top-10 edge rusher contracts (along with the Chargers). Pittsburgh had followed the traditional setup of rostering one highly paid edge in recent years, but the organization does have experience in this territory. Pittsburgh had both James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley on veteran extensions in the early 2010s, with Harrison signing his first extension in 2009 and Woodley joining him in 2011. This arrangement lasted three seasons (2011-13) before the team parted ways with both players (Harrison later returned to the team, while Woodley did not).
Eleven of Highsmith’s 14.5 sacks last season came when Watt was active; the younger pass rusher was slightly less effective during the All-Pro’s time rehabbing a partial pectoral tear. But the Steelers have come to view Highsmith as a core player as well. Watt has also avoided notable injuries aside from his September 2022 setback. This contract, which matches Shaquil Barrett and Chandler Jones for the 10th-most lucrative (AAV-wise) pact among outside rushers, confirms that commitment and could represent value for the team.
Barrett and Jones signed those deals in 2021. Highsmith could have taken his chances with a strong contract year that moved him past the $20MM-AAV barrier as a 2024 free agent. But the Steelers would have had the franchise tag at their disposal as well. With Highsmith committing to the team long term, the Steelers have two prime-years edge rushers locked in for many seasons.
Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith Addresses Extension Talks
One of the top remaining offseason priorities for the Steelers is finalizing an extension with pass rusher Alex Highsmith, something which will no doubt require a lucrative long-term commitment. Efforts on that front are already underway, and his latest remarks on the subject are optimistic in nature.
“That would be awesome,” Highsmith said, via Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, when asked about the possibility of having a deal in place by training camp. “We’ll see what happens. I’m confident with the way things are going… Right now, I just want to focus on ball.”
Contract negotiations have been taking place since May, a logical step from the Steelers’ perspective considering Highsmith’s value to the team’s pass rush. The 25-year-old has taken a signficant step forward in sack production during each of his three years in the league, and he registered 14.5 in 2022. That further proved his effectiveness as a compliment to All-Pro T.J. Watt, but a downturn in effectiveness during the latter’s missed time could cloud his value in the team’s eyes.
Highsmith should be in line for a signficant raise as early as this summer, as general manager Omar Khan acknowledged last month. Should talks stall over the effect Watt has on the former third-rounder’s production (not to mention the team’s substantial investment in Watt), though, Highsmith’s performance in 2023 would increasingly be worth watching. Requiring Pittsburgh to use the franchise tag or risk him hitting the open market would mark a troubling and unexpected turn of events in his case.
If each party gets their way, however, a multi-year extension may very well be in place by the time training camp opens next month. A long-term Watt-Highsmith combination would be costly for the Steelers, of course, but keeping the tandem in place would allow the team to remain elite in the pass-rush department for years to come. Working out the details of a second contract for the latter figures to be high on the agenda for Pittsburgh in the coming weeks.