Highsmith frustrated dealing with groin injury
Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith was awaiting results of an MRI on Monday afternoon to determine whether he will miss any games because of the groin injury he suffered in the first half of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 20-10 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Highsmith was injured late in the second quarter and did not return.
“I just have to see what the results are,” Highsmith said during media availability at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “I don’t want it to linger all season. When I’m out there, I want to be 100 percent fully healthy.”
Highsmith said this groin injury is “different” than the one he sustained during training camp. That injury prevented Highsmith from playing in the preseason.
“It’s frustrating that it’s been a lingering thing,” he said. “We have to find out what it is, get some rehab and attack it every day.”
Groin injuries are nothing new to Highsmith. He missed a game during the 2021 season and was listed on the injury report in Week 5 last year because of his groin. As he entered the season, Highsmith thought the injury was behind him.
“It’s been healed,” he said. “I’ve got to look at it when I’m training over the summer. I work hard in everything I do. I have to change some things.”
The Steelers don’t have an abundance of depth at outside linebacker. Nick Herbig, the top backup at the left and right positions, replaced Highsmith and had two of the Steelers’ five sacks Sunday. The Steelers have no other outside linebackers on the 53-man roster, although defensive end De-Marvin Leal has taken snaps there in the preseason and regular season.
Jeremiah Moon must spend one more week on injured reserve before he can be activated. Ade Ogundeji is an option on the practice squad. Ogundeji spent all of last season on injured reserve with the Atlanta Falcons with a foot injury. A former fifth-round pick, he started 27 games for the Falcons in the 2021-22 seasons.
Highsmith, meantime, isn’t looking forward to starting over after aggravating an injury he thought had subsided.
“I was feeling great recovering from it and taking all the proper precautions,” he said. “It’s frustrating when the same injury happens. I’ll get back to my rehab and work my way to get back.”
LINE DANCING
Those plans to move Broderick Jones to left tackle, his natural position, have been shelved again with right tackle Troy Fautanu heading to injured reserve with a knee injury that will require surgery.
Jones figured to remain at right tackle for as long as Fautanu is out, which could be for the rest of the regular season.
Jones took reps at both spots until Fautanu was injured in training camp, and he was listed as the swing tackle last week when Fautanu temporarily moved into the starting lineup.
