The Green Bay Packers acquired one of the best pass rushers in football last season. Unfortunately, Micah Parsons' first year with the organization was cut short with an injury, and it will be a while before he takes the field.
Parsons will miss at least the first month of the 2026 season. They're high on Lukas Van Ness, but he's coming off an injury of his own and has been inconsistent, and with Rashan Gary gone and a new-look pass-rushing corps, this is something to keep a close eye on.
Considering that, Bleacher Report analyst Moe Moton pointed to Alex Highsmith as a potential trade candidate for the Packers. In this scenario, they would send a 2027 Day 2 pick to Aaron Rodgers' Pittsburgh Steelers in return for their star OLB:
"Green Bay can replenish its depleted outside linebacker group with a move for Highsmith, who may want a new contract. The Steelers edge-rusher doesn't have any guaranteed money in the final two years of his deal. With $23.4 million in cap space, the Packers can acquire Highsmith, rework his contract and fill a glaring need on the edge," wrote Moton.
The Packers should be all over Alex Highsmith
Highsmith is criminally underrated. He's been on T.J. Watt's shadow for most of his career, though, ironically, he's one of the main reasons why Watt has been so successful in the league. He's a hard-working, dynamic, and versatile linebacker with a nose for the ball and a knack for getting to the quarterback.
The Packers will get Parsons back at some point in the season, but he may not be back to full strength all year. Some guys need one full season to recover their explosiveness and mobility after an ACL tear.
The Steelers already spent big bucks on Watt and Nick Herbig. So, as much as they've always said all the right things about wanting to keep Highsmith in town, the fact of the matter is that the salary cap might have other plans for Mike McCarthy's team.
More importantly, the Steelers might not compete at the highest level in 2026. Despite their Super Bowl aspirations, Aaron Rodgers can only do so much at this point in his career, and their aging defense won't be as good as in their heyday.
As such, the Steelers might ultimately realize that they have to pull the plug and finally enter a long-overdue rebuilding process. Adding a Day 2 pick to kick off the post-Rodgers era will be much more valuable to them than keeping Highsmith for a little longer.
The Packers already made a big splash when they traded for Parsons. Now, it's all about finishing the business and making sure he has the supporting cast he needs to lead this team back to the mountaintop.
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