The Cleveland Browns enter the 2026 season’s midpoint in an unfamiliar but welcome position, holding a 4-2 record and sharing the top of the AFC North after a gritty 13-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
First-year head coach Todd Monken has guided a team that traded away two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in the offseason yet continues to generate significant pressure through scheme and collective effort.
Players like Isaiah McGuire and Maliek Collins have stepped forward alongside the young talent acquired in the Garrett deal, helping the Browns form a nasty defense.
As the November 10 trade deadline approaches, Cleveland finds itself with the rare opportunity to add pieces that could reinforce an already competitive defense rather than simply rebuild it.
In his 2026 Trade Deadline Big Board for The Athletic, Daniel Popper named the Browns a best fit for Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher Alex Highsmith, pairing them with the Chicago Bears as a logical destination for the 29-year-old.
Popper observed that Highsmith, who has led the Steelers with 19 pressures through six weeks, would likely only move in a player-for-player exchange given Pittsburgh’s own 4-2 start and top-five defense by expected points added per play.
The Steelers’ recent $100 million extension for Nick Herbig, who has played just 53 percent of defensive snaps, has created a potential surplus at the position while the club still seeks upgrades in the secondary and at receiver.
From Cleveland’s perspective, the fit is both practical and striking.
Highsmith brings a proven production profile—multiple sacks already this season, consistent disruption, and a contract that projects to a manageable $7.25 million cap hit for an acquiring team while running through 2027.
Adding him opposite or alongside Jared Verse could give the Browns a more consistent edge presence to complement the interior pressure already coming from Mason Graham and others, helping sustain the unit’s early success in a division that remains tightly contested.
But would the Steelers actually trade Highsmith to a hated AFC North rival?
For that reason, any deal would require creativity, yet the possibility of acquiring a division-rival edge in his prime offers Cleveland a chance to deepen its front seven precisely when the team is positioned to contend.
As the deadline nears, the Browns’ status as a stunning potential landing spot for Highsmith underscores how far the franchise has come in a single season.
That being said, because of the rivalry, a deal seems unlikely.
