Is Nick Herbig forcing the Steelers to consider starting him?
Even though the Steelers love Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig has to be making them think long and hard about snaps. The fact is, when Herbig is on the field, there is a good chance of a splash defensive play. In three games this season, he already has 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception. But this is just the continuation of a pattern we have seen from him throughout his three-year career in reserve.
The Steelers selected Nick Herbig in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Since then, he has been an energy bringer off the bench. As a rookie, in 191 snaps, he recorded three sacks and two forced fumbles. A year ago, on 415 snaps, he recorded 5.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. Now on 178 snaps this season, we have already seen what he has done. And the Steelers are already talking about him as a third starter–not that that’s how it really works. So what is their line of thinking?
To date, Herbig has 10.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles, and an interception on 784 snaps. That’s roughly a season’s worth of production on a season’s worth of snaps for a high-quality starting edge defender. While Alex Highsmith also produces (he had a sack in the lone game he has started and finished this year), Herbig seems to have the highest per-snap production on the team.
One can argue that part of his productivity comes from his exposure. You’re fresher coming off the bench. Then again, Herbig hasn’t come off the bench this year because Highsmith has been down for nearly all of Herbig’s playing time. He has been logging 82.8 percent of the snaps in the games in which he has played. And he’s still producing, so what other criticisms remain?
There are practical matters to consider, of course. Nick Herbig is eligible for an extension next offseason, and the Steelers will want to know what kind of contract they need to sign him to. To that end, they will also need to know what to do with Highsmith and if they can keep both. Highsmith is a well-compensated player. But he’s also only produced more than seven sacks once in four full seasons as a starter. If Herbig is the better player, at what point does performance override hierarchy and salary? The Steelers will utilize both as long as they have both, but one has to play more than the other.
After another disappointing season and months of retooling, the Steelers are set to try it all again in 2025. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers isthe quarterback question. They settled in on Aaron Rodgers, but we still have a lot to learn about him. The2025 NFL Draft class could play a big role, but veteran additions like Jalen Ramsey will be paramount.
Now we are in the regular season. From Rodgers to George Pickens to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ramsey, we’ve seen the Steelers make some big changes. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and figuring out how it all works out.
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