Nick Herbig is probably one of the most popular players on the Pittsburgh Steelers right now, and interestingly so. Normally when a backup is popular, it’s because he is behind struggling starters. But Herbig is playing backup to T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, arguably the best edge-rusher tandem in the entire NFL.
And yet Nick Herbig keeps forcing his way into the conversation, his performance demanding more playing time. The Steelers are toying around with some packages with three outside linebackers on the field together, which Herbig would love to see. I don’t know if we will, but it’s clear the Steelers want to find ways to better utilize his talents.
And that includes his fellow outside linebackers, even if it means taking away some of their playing time. “Y’all gonna see this year. I’m telling y’all”, Highsmith said on Christian Kuntz’s podcast about Herbig. While Highsmith himself learned a lot from Watt, Herbig is a virtual mini-me.
“The way he rushes, you see a lot of T.J. in him”, Highsmith said of Herbig. “His IQ of the game and how smart he is, too. Just, his get-off is crazy. Got a bunch of moves, especially for a guy who’s that early in his career. Even coming in last year as a rookie, it’s like, ‘He has so many moves.’ And he’s just gonna get better and better”.
A fourth-round pick in 2023 out of Wisconsin, Nick Herbig made an impact as a rookie. Despite playing just 191 snaps, he recorded three sacks, five tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. More playing time is no guarantee of proportional production, but he did dominate in the preseason—again.
As many readers already know, Herbig had a relationship with Watt before the Steelers drafted him. As a fellow Wisconsin alum, Watt helped Herbig out with little tips during his college career. He even worked with him at the Wisconsin Pro Day last year. And since joining the same locker room, he has only continued to feed off whatever Watt is willing to give him.
While that takes shape both on and off the field, what’s truly impressive about Nick Herbig is his sponge-like learning. He takes whatever he can from both T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith and puts it out in games. He recorded a strip-sack during the preseason that he later said is something he took from Watt.
It’s hard to predict the future, but people have been talking about Herbig as a player with starter abilities for a while now. The question is whether he will ever have an opportunity to be the starter for the Steelers.
At least one beat writer believes he will eventually force the issue and displace Highsmith. Highsmith is under contract through 2027 while Herbig’s contract runs through 2026. If Herbig keeps making inroads, the Steelers may have an important decision to make by March 2026.
