It has been an under the radar, yet productive start to free agency for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Some key losses include cornerback, Cameron Sutton and linebacker, Robert Spillane, but the organization has made up for that and then some with several signings over the course of just a few days. Other teams in the AFC North have been relatively quiet, but that changed on Wednesday evening when it was reported that the Cincinnati Bengals were locking in top free agent offensive tackle, Orlando Brown Jr. as Joe Burrow's newest blindside protector.
This will be Brown's second stint in the AFC North after being drafted by and playing for the Baltimore Ravens from 2018-2020. The clear plan is for him to be a staple on the offensive line for Cincinnati the next four years after the investment looks to be roughly $16 million per season.
The Steelers were allegedly interested in the four-time Pro Bowl giant, but the Bengals ended up winning the bidding war when it came to the end of negotiations. It's a good thing that Cincinnati was able to land Brown as the offense has allowed Burrow to be hit way too many times the last two years.
This signing will create a new challenge for Pittsburgh's emerging pass rusher, Alex Highsmith. One could argue that he is a main reason the Bengals ended up making this splash signing. In 2022, Highsmith had 10 total tackles, seven QB hits, and 3.5 sacks against Cincinnati. He absolutely dominated the line of scrimmage.
Pittsburgh likes to move their edge rushers around a bit, but the majority of the time, Highsmith is going to line up on the outside of opponents' left tackles. He has benefited early in his career from TJ Watt being on the other side, but now teams are going to have to game plan for both of them due to Highsmith's career year in 2022.
He had 14.5 sacks and has gotten better each season since he was selected in the third round back in 2020. If the Steelers end up extending Highsmith, which many expect them to do as some point, the battles between Brown and him will go on for, at least, the next four seasons. This is a huge upgrade for Cincinnati and it's going to certainly test Pittsburgh's defense, especially Highsmith, going forward.
In 2021, Pittsburgh and Brown's former team, the Kansas City Chiefs played twice, including a playoff matchup. One could say Highsmith may have the edge as of now in terms of the one on one matchup. He was able to sack Patrick Mahomes once in each matchup as well as having a tackle for loss and QB hit.
Steelers And Bengals Rivalry Just Got Even Better
This is definitely going to be a new challenge for the edge rusher, but in a small sample size, is a battle that he has shown capable of winning in the past. There's no doubt that it is going to be a matchup to highlight going forward when the two AFC North rivals suit up against one another in 2023 and beyond.
The Bengals needed a big body to protect Burrow and this free agent signing is meant to keep him upright, but after Highsmith's success against Cincinnati in his career and strong showings against Brown in the past, he may just be licking his chops ready to compete with his new dance partner two times a season.
Are you excited to watch Highsmith go up against Brown twice a year?
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