With Alex Highsmith sidelined by a groin injury, the Steelers are going to rely on Nick Herbig Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. Herbig impressed replacing Highsmith in Week 3, as he logged two sacks and a forced fumble. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said on Thursday that he has a lot of faith in Herbig ahead of the latter’s first NFL start.
“Oh, I trust him. I trust him as a football player. I think obviously he’s still a young guy, but I trust him as a football player. He has plenty of toughness to get out there and do the things that we need him to do, and so we’ll count on him to do those things,” Austin said via transcript provided by the team.
Herbig has shown up to this point that he’s more than capable of doing what the Steelers need him to do, and they even have a pass-rush package that features Herbig along with T.J. Watt and Highsmith. That shows that the team thinks highly of him and wants to find ways to get him on the field. With Highsmith now out, Herbig will get a much bigger opportunity to contribute for the Steelers.
While he’s just in his second season, he made an impact in just 191 defensive snaps last season, logging three sacks and two forced fumbles along with 27 total tackles. Herbig has made an impact when he’s on the field, and while Highsmith is a big loss, Herbig being his replacement is making the Steelers feel a little bit more at ease.
He’s got a great get-off and a ton of speed when rushing the quarterback, and he’s been a prolific pass rusher dating back to his time at Wisconsin. In college, Herbig registered 21 sacks in three seasons, including 20 during his final two, and the Steelers kept him at outside linebacker after drafting him in the fourth round despite the fact he was undersized for the position. It’s a decision that’s paid off, and the next few games will be the biggest test for Herbig as he’ll be starting and playing more snaps than he likely has in a game in his NFL career up to this point.
But Austin has faith in him and given everything he’s shown in his opportunities so far, it makes a lot of sense why the Steelers believe in him. Hopefully, he can help mitigate the loss of Highsmith and that DeMarvin Leal can play well enough as the OLB3 to also minimize the loss.
The loss of Highsmith is a big one, but Herbig is one of the best backups at the position in the league. If he can reward Austin and the Steelers faith in him, he could be in line for a bigger role the rest of the season.
