It’s no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the best EDGE groups in the NFL, and a big reason for that is their depth. Jack Sawyer made an impact as a rookie, but there may not be a better “backup” than Nick Herbig across the league. Herbig totaled 7.5 sacks last season after piling up 5,5 sacks in 2024, but he’s behind Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt in Pittsburgh. For that reason, ESPN’s Aaron Schatz wants a change of scenery for Herbig to see what he can do with a bigger role.
“Herbig is probably happy in Pittsburgh, and he certainly is providing a lot of value for the Steelers. However, it would be really nice to see what Herbig could do as a starter somewhere — because right now, he’s stuck behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith as a rotational player,” Schatz writes. “Herbig led the league with a 26.3% pass rush win rate in 2025, and he had 7.5 sacks, despite playing just 52% of snaps. Could he lead the league if he were starting for another team?”
Schatz picked one player from each team who could benefit from a change. Normally, that’s due to a player underperforming and the hope that a new coaching staff and new team will help unlock him. That’s not the case with Herbig. He’s been highly productive and has shown no signs of wanting of Pittsburgh, even though he could likely be a starter elsewhere.
It’s understandable why Herbig would be Schatz’s pick. If he had the same production on a per-snap basis in a bigger role, he would be considered one of the best EDGE rushers in football. He hasn’t had that opportunity in Pittsburgh, though he’s started 11 games over the past two seasons due to injuries.
Given that Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt have both dealt with injuries recently, the Steelers have no real reason to deal Herbig. Even if they can get some solid draft capital, having a backup EDGE rusher who can perform like a starter when needed is valuable, and Herbig could see his usage increase under Patrick Graham. At times last year, the Steelers deployed their Bronco package with Herbig on the field with Watt and Highsmith, and we could potentially see more of that this year.
While it’s easy to envision Herbig excelling elsewhere with more opportunity, it’s highly unlikely he isn’t wearing the Black and Gold and making an impact for the Steelers next season.
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