This is the seventh in a series examining the Pittsburgh Steelers roster, position by position, heading into the offseason.
Today: Outside linebackers
T.J. Watt’s future with the Pittsburgh Steelers undoubtedly will be a topic of discussion within the organization this offseason.
It’s not just that the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year is entering the final year of his contract, which will make him a candidate for an extension before 2025 kicks off.
It’s his future within the Steelers defense that could be up for debate.
Given the way Watt was held without a sack in the final four games, including playoffs, and given the Steelers ended the year with five consecutive losses, he might, reluctantly, have to move around the defense.
A fixture at left outside linebacker, Watt is open to the idea of moving around the defense and lining up at various spots if it can increase his — and the team’s — production. Anything for Watt to avoid the double teams and chips he has seen increase throughout his career.
“I prefer the left, but at this point in my career, I want to be an impact player,” Watt said a few days after the season ended with a first-round playoff loss at Baltimore. “I don’t want to be schemed out of games. I want to be able to deliver the football in good field positions or take the ball away. It wasn’t a good enough year for me when it comes to that.”
Despite the way Watt finished the season, he recorded 111⁄2 sacks and led the NFL with six forced fumbles. He also was named a finalist for defensive player of the year, an award he won after the 2021 season.
The Steelers have the most money allocated to the outside linebacker position of any NFL team. Watt, 30, has a $21.05 million base salary, and Alex Highsmith will earn $13 million in 2025. They represent the highest and fourth-highest cap hits on the roster, respectively.
Limited to 11 games because of injuries, Highsmith totaled six sacks, one fewer than he had in 2023 when didn’t miss a game. Highsmith, 27, has three years left on his contract.
“Alex is a great rusher on the right side,” Watt said. “At times, he can be a better rusher on the right than I can be on the right, and I don’t want to take away his natural rush instinct side for me to go to the right and not be as effective as where I can be on the left and him on the right.”
The Steelers acquired veteran Preston Smith at the trade deadline, and he contributed two sacks in eight games. But Smith, who is 32, was inactive for the Christmas game against Kansas City, and he didn’t get a helmet against the Ravens in the playoffs. He has a $13.4 million cap hit for 2025, making him a prime candidate to be cut in March.
Nick Herbig showed he is ready to take on a bigger role at the position. In 13 games, he chipped in a career-high 51⁄2 sacks, and he followed in Watt’s footsteps with four forced fumbles, which ranked tied for fourth in the league.
Herbig has two years remaining on his rookie contract, rounding out the Steelers’ nucleus if the organization wants to keep its trio of pass rushers intact.
Under contract: T.J. Watt ($30.418 million cap hit), Alex Highsmith ($18.602 million), Preston Smith ($13.4 million), Nick Herbig ($1.198 million), Eku Leota ($1.03 million), Thomas Rush ($840,000), Julius Welschof ($840,000)
Impending free agents: None
Exclusive rights free agent: Jeremiah Moon
Outside perspective: Pro Football Network, on salary cap cut possibilities: “The Steelers have over $40 million in cap space, but they do not currently have a firm plan at quarterback, and they have other holes on their roster. With T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith entrenched as starters at outside linebacker, (Preston) Smith is a luxury they can afford to cut and re-invest elsewhere.”
