Cameron Heyward is absent from OTAs, but he isn’t the only veteran missing some of the voluntary sessions. T.J. Watt is vacationing in Austria, which has left some extra opportunities for second-year OLB Nick Herbig in practice.
“I look at this like a chance to get better and be able to go against a guy like Broderick [Jones],” Herbig told Mark Kaboly via an article posted on The Athletic. “You have to take full advantage of opportunities like these.”
Herbig didn’t get a ton of playing time in 2023 as a rookie. He was the fourth OLB in the rotation with Markus Golden on the roster, but he did some great things with what little playing time he had. In just 17 percent of the team’s defensive snaps, he logged 27 combined tackles, 19 solo tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. His strip-sack against the Seattle Seahawks was one of the big turning points of that game.
That impressive rookie season in limited snaps has set him up for a slightly bigger role in 2024. Golden is no longer on the roster, so Herbig will be the first OLB off the bench. He will be just one injury away from a very significant role on the team. These extra practice reps against the team’s top offensive linemen are helping to better prepare him.
Watt is a captain of the defense, so some will probably question why he is skipping out on some of the practices. But Mike Tomlin actually mentioned Heyward’s absence as a minor positive in these early practices. It clears the way for some of the younger players to get more snaps and the coaches get a better look at them. The OTAs are all about teaching the new players on the roster how the team does things and testing out their conditioning and level of preparation. These are things that Watt probably doesn’t need to prove entering Year 8 with four first-team All-Pro honors to his name.
After being drafted last season, some thought that Herbig would be converted into an ILB as his frame is smaller than what the Steelers typically go for in OLBs. After the flashes of brilliance he had last season, there is little doubt that he can play on the outside, and he is poised for a nice jump in production with an expanded role.
