The Pittsburgh Steelers made a clear statement when they extended Nick Herbig‘s contract on Tuesday. They believe the young pass rusher is more than just rotational depth. The question now is whether committing early to a player with limited starting experience was smart roster building or an unnecessary gamble.
That answer probably lies somewhere in the middle.
Herbig has done everything the Steelers could have reasonably asked since arriving in Pittsburgh. Drafted in the fourth round in 2023, he quickly carved out a role as a high-energy player with legitimate production. In limited snaps, he consistently generated pressure, flashed versatility, and showed a knack for finding the football.
Those traits matter in Pittsburgh’s defensive system.
Edge depth
The Steelers have long prioritized depth and rotation at outside linebacker. T.J. Watt is entering his 30s. Alex Highsmith continues to battle through the physical wear-and-tear that comes with heavy snap counts. Behind them, finding capable pass rushers has never been easy or cheap.
Many of you will remember the rotating door of edge rushers who couldn’t adequately fill Watt’s shoes when called upon: Melvin Ingram, Preston Smith, Markus Golden, Malik Reed, and Taco Charlton are all veteran names who have come, failed to impress, and left shortly after arrival.
That alone helps explain the Herbig extension.
Getting ahead of the market
Rather than waiting for Herbig’s price to increase if he exploded statistically in 2026, Pittsburgh locked in cost certainty early. If Herbig develops into a reliable starter or high-end rotational piece, the deal could quickly become one of the better values on the roster.
The production suggests that possibility exists, following a career-high 7.5 sacks in 2025, second on the team to only Alex Highsmith (who had 9.5.)
Herbig’s impact also goes beyond sack totals. He has displayed strong instincts, good closing speed, and positional flexibility that allows defensive coordinators to move pieces around. Those types of players tend to earn second contracts because their value isn’t tied solely to box score production.
However, there are legitimate concerns too.
Bigger workloads
Herbig still has not proven he can consistently handle starter-level workloads over a full season. Producing in rotational snaps is different from carrying a larger role while opposing offenses game plan specifically for you.
There’s also the risk of projecting future growth instead of paying for proven performance.
The Steelers have occasionally burned themselves by extending players based more on traits than sustained production. If Herbig plateaus as a situational pass rusher, critics will inevitably question whether those resources could have been better allocated elsewhere.
Another factor is timing
Pittsburgh currently has one of the league’s more expensive edge rooms with Watt, Highsmith, and Herbig all occupying significant cap space. That group accounts for roughly $83 million on average per year, with Watt earning $41 million, Herbig $25 million, and Alex Highsmith $17 million.
The Herbig investment only works if the Steelers continue leaning heavily into pass rush depth as a defensive identity.
Still, when evaluating the extension, the larger organizational philosophy matters. The Steelers historically reward players they draft and develop. They value continuity and prefer extending ascending talent early rather than entering bidding wars later.
Herbig fits that mold almost perfectly.
So was extending Nick Herbig a good idea?
If you believe Herbig becomes a future starter or maintains his trajectory as one of the NFL’s better rotational pass rushers, then yes. The Steelers likely saved money and secured an important defensive piece before his value increased.
Though signed through the 2028 season, T.J. Watt turns 32 in October. There’s no cap savings on his deal until that final season. As for Alex Highsmith, he’s signed through the next two seasons and could offer cap relief instantly, should the Steelers move on.
If either Watt or Highsmith suffer a setback, Herbig becomes the heir to their roles, keeping continuity among the outside linebackers: which is never a bad thing.
The only “bad thing” about this deal is if you wanted more proof over a larger sample size. In that way, skepticism is understandable.
What isn’t debatable is this: Pittsburgh identified Herbig as part of its long-term defensive core. Now the pressure shifts from the front office to Herbig himself to prove they were right.