Mark Madden: Steelers' commitment to defense is flawed in today's NFL

Edge rusher Alex Highsmith signed a four-year, $68-million contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Good move, bad move … that’s beyond debate. It’s simply what the Steelers do.

When a player of any regard is up for renewal, he gets what he wants. That’s the Steelers way. Highsmith didn’t even get a chance to hold in.

The Steelers have spent big to keep mostly intact a team that hasn’t won a playoff game in six years. Outside of drafting, they loathe big change.

In a vacuum, it’s not a bad decision. Highsmith is decent. He broke through with 14½ sacks last year, forcing a league-high five fumbles.

But Highsmith only had 3½ sacks in the seven games T.J. Watt missed because of injury.

Watt is Batman. Highsmith is Robin. But Highsmith is getting pretty close to Batman money. The average annual value of Highsmith’s extension ranks among the top 10 edge rushers in the NFL.

Highsmith might have to be Batman as often as not. Watt, 28, has had two straight injury-prone years and seems in that stage of his career.

Can Highsmith be Batman? So far, not really.

Highsmith’s extension is yet more resources committed to defense. The Steelers had the most expensive defense in the NFL last season. Highsmith’s contract is more money spent on that side of the ball.

That doesn’t work in today’s NFL.

The discrepancy is understandable. The Steelers have five offensive starters on entry contracts, including quarterback Kenneth Pickett. That frees up money to spend. The Steelers have spent it on defense.

But Fox’s Colin Cowherd, who has had the Steelers’ failings pegged as long as I have, spit an unpleasant truth that anybody could look up when he said, “The Steelers have led the NFL in sacks four of the last six years. Zero playoff wins. The Steelers’ world view: More sacks.”

At the risk of it looking like Cowherd wrote this column, he also pointed out:

• Super Bowl champion Kansas City keeps their defense “young, fast, cheap and fresh.”

• None of the last five Super Bowl winners had a top five defense.

• The Steelers “can’t figure out their offensive line and running game.”

• “Success is about staying current.”

The Steelers steadfastly refuse to stay current.

It’s time to question the value of sacks, not least because the Steelers can’t win playoff games despite getting a lot of them.

Sacks don’t mean a lot except on third down. If you get a sack on first or second down, the yards are too easy to get back. (Unless you’re the Steelers, who constantly throw short of the sticks.)

But sacks are the culmination of pressure. Consistent pressure is important. It forces mistakes, penalties and turnovers, not just sacks.

If Watt stays healthy, Highsmith will shine. But Watt will likely get hurt. Highsmith might excel anyway.

He’d better. His new paycheck demands excellence regardless of circumstance.

But what Highsmith and the defense do won’t matter if Pickett doesn’t improve a lot. When he does, whether it’s this season on whenever, is when the Steelers will be legit. Not because of defense.

Quarterback is all that matters in today’s NFL. Ask Saquon Barkley.

Would money be better spent to augment what Pickett has to work with instead of constantly trying to build a new Steel Curtain? (Which the Steelers haven’t done. The defense isn’t elite. It has plenty of stars, but also plenty of holes. It was statistically mediocre last year.)

The Steelers have used prominent draft picks on weapons in recent years, not least last year’s first-round choice on Pickett.

But on offense, too much is never enough in today’s NFL. On defense, elite doesn’t matter that much. Against schmucky teams, yes. Not against good quarterbacks in high-leverage situations.