The Pittsburgh Steelers saw their 2025 season end familiarly, as the franchise suffered its seventh straight playoff defeat. However, this time around, the Steelers’ defense, which was expected to be an area of strength, performed poorly, especially after starting the season with some high expectations. Addressing these concerns, Pittsburgh’s star linebacker Alex Highsmith issued a powerful statement to his teammates ahead of the 2026 season.

“There’s some games that we absolutely dominated, and there are some games we played like a bottom-of-the-league defense,” Highsmith told Jon Gruden on his Gruden Goes Long. “We just weren’t consistent enough. I feel like we do have the players to be an elite defense, a legendary defense. We’ve just got to put it all together. It just starts with practice, communication, details, and whatnot.”

This charged reaction is a result of the Steelers’ defense finishing 17th in points allowed and 26th in yards allowed, the lowest defensive ranking since 1988. While they were top five in takeaways and 13th in run defense, Pittsburgh allowed over 6,000 yards, ranking 29th in pass defense. Furthermore, the Steelers only held one opponent below 10 points all year.

However, there were several games where the defense lived up to its billing. As Alex Highsmith mentioned, the Steelers had top performances against the Minnesota Vikings and the Indianapolis Colts. With these silver linings, Alex Highsmith believes the franchise can improve significantly if they perform consistently, as they have the players to be the top defense in the league.

“We have all the pieces. We’ve shown flashes of that, but it’s about putting it together week after week after week,” Highsmith added. “Not only just creating turnovers, but also getting off the field and taking away long drives.”

While Alex Highsmith looks forward to the 2026 season with a new hope of improving on the mistakes he and the defense made last season, the veteran linebacker will be moving ahead without the only coach he has had throughout his Steelers career. Hence, when asked about former head coach Mike Tomlin’s decision to step down, Highsmith revealed how that day was an emotional one.

Alex Highsmith addresses Mike Tomlin’s exit as Steelers head coach

With the end of the 2025 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers saw the end of a historic era as head coach Mike Tomlin stepped down after 19 years. He stepped down after a combined record of 201-126-2, including a 193-114-2 regular-season mark and an 8-12 playoff record, while winning Super Bowl XLIII.

“You know it was an emotional day because of that (Tomlin’s exit),” Highsmith said. “I’ve played for him for six years, and even growing up, I was a Panther fan. You know about the Steels, you know about Mike T.”

Furthermore, this moment was even more difficult for Alex Highsmith after playing his entire NFL career under Mike Tomlin. In 90 games with 79 starts, Highsmith has accumulated 45 sacks, 337 tackles, 10 forced fumbles, and three interceptions, including a touchdown return.

“But I’m just grateful for him and how he’s helped me progress in my career.” Highsmith further added, “He not only wants to be a great football player, but also a great man as well. He’s highly respected for a reason, and like he’s a player’s coach, you’ll never meet a player that plays for him that didn’t love playing for him.”

As the Steelers enter a new era, Alex Highsmith remains focused on the future. He knows the defense has the talent to be elite. Now, the challenge is consistency. With a new coaching staff ahead, Pittsburgh’s veteran linebacker is determined to honor Mike Tomlin’s legacy by helping build something special in 2026.