Pittsburgh Steelers OLB Nick Herbig has flashed once again in his second preseason, and with Herbig likely serving as Pittsburgh’s OLB3, it’s more important for him to make an impact this season. So far, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has been impressed with his play and said he likes where Herbig is headed.
“He’s making a really nice jump. He’s had a really good camp, explosive, loves ball, all the good things you want in a football player. He’s continuing to develop, so I like where he’s going,” Austin said via Aaron Becker of YardBarker on Twitter.
Herbig tallied 1.5 sacks in Pittsburgh’s preseason loss against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, and it builds off a rookie season where he had three sacks and two forced fumbles in just 191 defensive snaps.
With an elevated role, bumping to OLB3 after serving as OLB4 last season, the opportunities are going to be there for Herbig to make a bigger impact. He spent time this offseason training and working out with T.J. Watt, and he also spent time with James Harrison when Harrison visited Steelers training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa.
Those aren’t two bad guys to learn from, and Herbig should be in line to make a jump this season. The benefit of having a talented third outside linebacker is it gives the Steelers options and can help them limit some snaps for Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt to keep them fresh and healthy, while having someone in Herbig who can jump in and make an impact.
If Herbig’s upward trajectory continues, he could wind up being a really key piece for the Steelers and more than just a depth outside linebacker. The upside he showed as a rookie should carry over this season, and if he can make some more plays, he’ll have a home as a rotational pass rusher for the Steelers for a long time. It’s going to be fun to see how he looks in the early going this year, but his work against Buffalo was impressive on Saturday, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Herbig stand out again in the preseason finale against the Lions.
While Highsmith and Watt are two of the best outside linebackers in football, keeping them healthy is a must, and Herbig can help make that happen and take whatever snaps the team out of him, and that’s going to be valuable this season. I’m excited to see what sort of impact he’ll have for the Steelers in 2024 and beyond.
