**Player: OLB Nick Herbig**
**Stock Value: Down**
**Reasoning:** _After tweaking his hamstring in the preseason, Nick Herbig’s status for the Steelers’ season opener is in question. Having battled injuries last season, he is not getting Year 3 off on the right foot. While there is still plenty of time—an entire season—to recover, this could prove a nagging injury. And the Steelers don’t have any experienced depth behind him._
The Steelers really like what Nick Herbig does when he’s on the field, even if they prod him to motivate. Even Aaron Rodgers has joined him, calling him a one-trick pony—to which he responded with a Discount Doublecheck.
But it’s Herbig now getting checked and double checked after tweaking his hamstring in the preseason. Mike Tomlin held him out of the first game, but then he played briefly in the second. They quickly pulled him once he injured himself, even if it seemed precautionary.
Weeks later, though, we’re talking about him potentially missing meaningful games. Speaking to reporters yesterday, Tomlin listed Nick Herbig as questionable for the season opener. Assuming he returns soon, he could still be nursing a soft tissue injury. I know I am for the past couple months, and my sudden, athletic movements are strictly performed on an as-needed-to-survive basis at this point in my life.
Over the past two years, Herbig has logged 8.5 sacks in 606 defensive snaps played. He also has six forced fumbles, an impressive productivity rate for what doesn’t even equate to a full season. The Steelers surely hoped to try to get him on the field even more this year.
Complicating the current situation is the fact that the only backup past Herbig is Jack Sawyer. The Steelers are high on him, but the rookie still has a lot to learn. They also have DeMarvin Leal on the practice squad, whom they will likely elevate for Sunday if Herbig can’t play. And Leal really isn’t even an outside linebacker, so…
_With regular season on the way and the roster in place, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that_ [_change the team talked about_](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/02/steelers-make-their-coaching-changes-they-still-manage-to-disappoint/) _after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract. Oh, and they also traded some guy named George Pickens, which people found significant._
_After a long offseason, we finally know what this Steelers team will look like for the 2025 season. The dust is long settled on both free agency and_ [_the 2025 NFL Draft_](https://www.nfl.com/draft/)_, and now we’re into the real thing__. What final moves might the team make, if any? They’ve certainly made a flurry of moves, though some question whether they make much difference. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?_