A former Charlotte walk-on who developed into one of the Steelers' most productive pass rushers.
Alex Highsmith's path started as a walk-on at Charlotte, and he has since become a fixture off the edge for Pittsburgh, signing a lucrative extension after establishing himself as a consistent double-digit-pressure threat. He has spent his entire career with the Steelers since being drafted in 2020.
Path to the league
Highsmith walked on at Charlotte and developed into a two-time first-team All-Conference USA selection, setting school records with 17.5 tackles for loss in 2018 and 14 sacks in 2019, when he was also a third-team All-American. The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 102nd overall.
Career highlights
Highsmith has spent his entire NFL career in Pittsburgh, developing into one of the team's primary edge rushers and signing a four-year, $70 million extension. Through 2025 he has totaled 45 sacks, 337 tackles and 10 forced fumbles, and he tied for the NFL lead in forced fumbles in 2022 with five.
2025 season recap
Highsmith led the Steelers with 9.5 sacks in 2025, adding 50 tackles and three passes defended. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after a four-tackle, two-sack, forced-fumble performance against Indianapolis in Week 9.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Alex Highsmith
- Pro Football Reference: Alex Highsmith
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
13 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | steelers | 13 | 50 | 36 | 9.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 2024 | steelers | 11 | 45 | 28 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2023 | steelers | 17 | 57 | 34 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 2022 | steelers | 17 | 63 | 38 | 14.5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 | steelers | 16 | 74 | 46 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | steelers | 16 | 48 | 30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Charlotte
- Hometown
- Wilmington, NC, USA
- Age
- 29
- Status
- active
