Trade talk swirls around Steelers edge Alex Highsmith, with NFC suitors named

The Steelers have once again become the center of NFL trade chatter, this time with linebacker-edge Alex Highsmith at the center of the conversation. In a June 8 segment discussed in the Steelers’ orbit, NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms named several NFC teams he believes should be “trying to acquire” Highsmith, even as mainstream trade skepticism persists around Pittsburgh moving its core pass rushers.

Simms’ list, as relayed, begins with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. He added Chicago as a plausible participant, then suggested the market could include “another team or two” outside those three, with franchises monitoring other high-profile pass-rush outcomes around the league. The core of the claim was not that a deal is imminent, but that teams looking for immediate edge help may view the Highsmith discussion as a live option.

Part of why Highsmith is viewed as a more realistic trade target than Pittsburgh’s other edge centerpiece is contract timing. The discussion describes Highsmith as having two years remaining, and frames his deal as structurally easier for the Steelers to move. Cap modeling websites put Highsmith’s “dead money” at about $11.204 million if cut or traded before June 1 in 2026, and about $5.602 million in 2027, numbers that help explain why general managers might run scenarios even without a clear guarantee that Pittsburgh wants to cash out.

The Steelers’ edge room context matters here, because the same offseason has added fuel to the idea that someone could eventually be moved. Pittsburgh recently signed linebacker Nick Herbig to a new five-year contract, a move that adds certainty to a position group that already includes T.J. Watt and Highsmith. described Herbig’s production history and the scale of the new deal, and in doing so, it underscored that the team is not treating its pass rush as an afterthought.

On the field, Pittsburgh has long emphasized that Highsmith is more than a situational rusher. In its own recap of the outside linebacker group, listed Highsmith alongside Herbig and Watt, calling attention to the Steelers’ belief in “the best edge group” and describing how the front used different personnel combinations in passing situations. The same piece also referenced that Highsmith missed four games in the 2025 season and finished with 9.5 sacks in 13 games, a reminder that even reliable edge production can be shaped by availability and snap roles.

If Highsmith does become a trade centerpiece, the practical question is what a contender is buying: one more veteran edge presence with an established role, or a longer-term piece that fits a specific defensive design. Simms’ framing, as relayed, suggests teams are gauging the cost and timing of other deals before deciding how aggressive to be in the Highsmith lane. And because the “who” is tied to the NFC playoff landscape, it could matter most in matchups where quarterbacks are pressured consistently rather than occasionally.

For Pittsburgh, the safest interpretation is that trade speculation is only one part of roster planning. The Steelers can explore calls without necessarily concluding a transaction, particularly if the trade price does not match their valuation or if they believe their current edge rotation can cover the 2026 season while the team’s other moves take shape. The next developments to watch are not only formal trade rumors but also how the Steelers manage their edge snaps and offseason reps, because that is where “listening to offers” either turns into a decision or gets quietly closed.