The Pittsburgh Steelers and line-backer Alex Highsmith agreed to a four-year, $68 million dollar contract extension. 

In the 2022 NFL season, Highsmith broke out with 38 solo tackles, 25 assist on tackles, 20 quarterback hits, a career-high of 14.5 sacks and even led the league in forced fumbles with five. This is despite all world pass rusher and running mate TJ Watt missing a good portion of the season.

Highsmith will make over $27.2 million in guarantees and then $38 million over the first two new years of the deal.

The line-backer was entering his final year of his four-year rookie deal with the Steelers, who selected him in the third round of the 2020 draft. 

Highsmith, before the extension, had expressed multiple times to the media that he wanted to stay in Pittsburgh for a long time and now he will do just that.

The signing makes sense for both Highsmith and Pittsburgh as the Steelers now have two of the top-10 highest paid pass rushers in the NFL after locking in the line-backer with the other being outside line-backer T.J. Watt who had signed a four-year, $112 million contract in 2021. They will form a formidable duo and one of the best in the league for years to come.