{
  "id": 7570346,
  "title": "Why Alex Highsmith is Pittsburgh's most underrated star",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/why-alex-highsmith-is-pittsburghs-most-underrated-star",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-15T14:42:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-alex-highsmith-pittsburghs-most-144243913.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Pittsburgh's Week 1 win against the Atlanta Falcons, EDGE rusher Alex Highsmith shined brightly, eclipsing the spotlight usually reserved for T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig. The Steelers' EDGE rusher faced Atlanta's top offensive tackle, Jake Matthews, and dominated the field from start to finish. On The Snap Count podcast, former Steelers teammates Trai Essex and Charlie Batch commended Highsmith's relentless performance. Highsmith was unblockable against Matthews, a testament to his dominance in one-on-one matchups. Batch highlighted Highsmith's consistent intensity, pointing out that his dominant performance in training camp translated to the game. The Steelers' new defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, emphasized the importance of a fresh edge rusher rotation, with Highsmith contributing 41 snaps, while Watt and Herbig each logged 38 and 39, respectively. Highsmith's impact on the pass rush was undeniable, proving his worth among elite EDGE rushers.",
  "summary": "While T.J. Watt steals the national headlines, edge rusher Alex Highsmith remains the unheralded engine driving the Pittsburgh Steelers defense.",
  "key_points": [
    "Alex Highsmith dominated against Atlanta's Jake Matthews",
    "Trai Essex and Charlie Batch praised Highsmith's performance",
    "Highsmith contributed 41 snaps in Steelers' defense"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}