Pittsburgh Steelers OLB Nick Herbig once again stepped up for the team with a strip sack of QB Joe Burrow that led to a defensive touchdown in Pittsburgh’s 44-38 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Herbig now has 4.5 sacks this season and four forced fumbles, and while he isn’t built like a traditional 3-4 outside linebacker, Herbig has been an impact player since the Steelers selected him in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. After the game, OLB T.J. Watt, who had two sacks of his own including a strip-sack, praised Herbig and dismissed the flak he catches for his size.
“[Herbig]’s a young baller. He’s continuing to grow. Like I say each and every week, he takes coaching really well and nothing’s personal. If you tell him to correct something, he does it. He’s got his own set of moves that he brings to the room too that we’re all trying to learn and he’s trying to do the same to us, and he’s just the guy that brings a lot to this defense. I know people talk a lot of crap about his size, his lack of speed. I know I’m faster than him, you can tell him that, but the kid balls out. He plays good football,” Watt said via the team’s YouTube channel.
Coming out of Wisconsin, Herbig was listed at 6-2 and 240 pounds with 31 1/4-inch arms, and there was some speculation that he would have to move inside to off-ball linebacker in the NFL despite being a highly productive EDGE rusher in college. The Steelers trusted their evaluation in him as an EDGE and decided to keep him there, and it’s a decision that’s paid off in a big way as he’s been a key piece of the team’s rotation at outside linebacker. With Alex Highsmith missing multiple games due to injury this season, Herbig has stepped in and made some big plays, including the strip-sack today that led to the game-winning touchdown on a scoop and score by rookie LB Payton Wilson.
Herbig’s performance so far shows that a player doesn’t necessarily have to fit into a traditional box athletically for him to succeed in the NFL or in Pittsburgh. He has a motor that simply doesn’t stop and as Watt said, he’s someone who’s willing to learn and adapt. Learning from guys like Watt and Highsmith surely has helped Herbig turn into the player he’s become. His ability to be a student and take things from them and not viewing advice or teaching points as a slight is also crucial for a young player’s development, and it’s something Herbig has clearly shown.
There’s still a lot of room for growth in Herbig’s game, and it’s going to be fun to watch him continue to develop for the Steelers throughout the season and over the years.
