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How Will Steelers Replace Alex Highsmith? | Steelers Morning Rush
Steelers Morning Rush: How will the Steelers split up Alex Highsmith’s role between Preston Smith and Nick Herbig?
Welcome to Steelers Morning Rush, our new daily short-form podcast with Alan Saunders, giving a longer perspective on a single news topic surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League. Today, it’s how the Steelers will replace Alex Highsmith at right outside linebacker.
Highsmith is expected to miss at least the next two games with a left ankle sprain suffered in Sunday’s win over the Washington Commanders.
The club has two obvious choices to replace Highsmith opposite T.J. Watt in the starting lineup: Preston Smith and Nick Herbig. But neither will be a one-to-one replacement.
Smith has been playing a part-time role in Green Bay, and even if head coach Mike Tomlin doubled his snap count from his first game with the team against the Commanders, that would still fall short of Highsmith’s usual role. Herbig has filled in for Highsmith in the past, but he is coming off a hamstring injury himself and the Steelers will likely want to bring him along slowly in his return to the game.
With both Smith and Herbig likely playing a limited role, Jeremiah Moon could see some playing time against his former team as well, especially to give Watt a break on the left side.
Alan breaks it down.
RELATED: Backup OLBs Herbig, Smith Ready to Make an Impact vs. Ravens
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig at practice on Aug. 30, 2023. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Preston Smith warms up before a game against the Washington Commanders on Nov. 10, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
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Put in dirty red #44 tyler matakevich people think he can do the job since he came into the league to slow slow etc he’s been in the league for 9 years best defense player in 2016 out of college the players that people said where better than him are not in the league anymore just give him a shot
No, put in Herbig, he follows in TJ watts tracks, heโs gonna be a monster.