In a shocking turn of events, head coach Mike Tomlin has decided to step down. He leaves the Pittsburgh Steelers after 19 years, no losing seasons, eight AFC North titles, and one Super Bowl. On paper, that shouldn't be of much importance for an NFC North team like the Chicago Bears. Nevertheless, that's not the case.
The Steelers had been hanging on to hope of making a deep postseason run with a veteran coach like Tomlin. Now, with him leaving and Aaron Rodgers possibly retiring, they will probably finally go through a long-overdue rebuild. That leaves the door wide open for the Bears to swoop right in and steal one of their star pass rushers.
The Bears Should Pursue Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith
With Tomlin out of town, Bears GM Ryan Poles should be on the phone right now to call dibs on Alex Highsmith. The star pass rusher is on the books for the next couple of years, and he'll make a combined $30 million in the next couple of seasons. That's a contract the Bears could certainly afford to absorb.
Highsmith has never received as much credit as fellow pass rusher T.J. Watt, but the veteran has been instrumental to the team's success. Even as the Robin to Watt's Batman, Highsmith still managed to get 45.0 sacks over his six years in the league, including 9.5 this past season.
The defender is just 28 years old, so he's very much in his physical prime. This season, Highsmith had 50 tackles (36 solo), 19 QB hits, 15 tackles for loss, three passes defensed, and one forced fumble. Also, his Pro Football Focus grade (82.8) was the 15th-best among 115 eligible pass rushers.
Dennis Allen's defense can certainly use a headhunter. The Bears ranked 26th in the league in sacks per game (2.0) and 25th in sack percentage (5.84 percent), according to Team Rankings. Their inability to put pressure on the quarterback often led to clean pockets and big gains.
The Bears are clearly on the right track and should be a contending team for years to come, even in the stacked NFC North. That being said, they can't afford to rest on their laurels. Everybody in the division will come back stronger next season, and they must address the few flaws and roster issues in the offseason.
Alex Highsmith is probably one of the most underrated defensive players in the league. And with the Steelers probably looking to blow things up and start from scratch, the Bears need to give him a chance to prove what he can do as the main headhunter on a team.