The Pittsburgh Steelers minicamp kicked off on Tuesday, and outside linebacker Alex Highsmith took part without a long-term contract extension signed as he enters the final season of his rookie contract.

Highsmith made it clear that he would be taking the practice field with the rest of his teammates, but it's unclear whether he will be a full participant in the team minicamp this week.

“We'll see when that time comes,” Highsmith said Tuesday morning regarding his level of participation, according to Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Right now, I'm working. Being with the team, being with the guys means a lot to me.”

The Steelers are set for three scheduled practices this week, with the first coming on Tuesday. Highsmith is entering the final season of his rookie contract, and is due for a raise at the tune of $13.9 million per season, according to salary-tracking website spotrac.com.

“He plans to take the practice field with the rest of his teammates. How much work the fourth-year outside linebacker does remains to be seen,” wrote Rutter on Tuesday.

“In prior years, players seeking new contracts — namely, T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick — limited their practice participation until the deal was reached.”

Last season, Fitzpatrick was signed to a record-setting contract, but that didn't happen until the end of the team's minicamp. Alex Highsmith made it very clear that he hopes to have a deal completed as soon as possible, and not let negotiatons extend into the summer.

“That would be awesome,” Highsmith said, per Rutter. “We'll see what happens. I'm confident with the way things are going. Right now, I just want to focus on ball.”

The Steelers report to training camp on Jul. 26.