The Pittsburgh Steelers have a number of key, young players who are in line for extensions this summer, and fourth-year outside linebacker Nick Herbig is one of those.
On the surface, it seems like a no-brainer for the Steelers to get an extension done with Herbig. He’s been a valuable pass rusher and is part of terrific depth in the outside linebacker room behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
But there’s more to an extension than just that, and it takes two sides to tango. Herbig might want a larger role, something he’s unlikely to get in Pittsburgh as long as Watt and Highsmith are around. GM Omar Khan stated this offseason he wants to get Herbig on the field more.
That will be part of new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s task in 2026. But even that might not lead to an extension for Herbig.
For Steelers.com’s Bob Labriola, an extension with the young, budding star will be “tricky” this summer, and even potentially a bit unlikely.
“This one is difficult to predict. The Steelers already have made significant commitments to T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig may want to bet on himself by playing out the 2026 season and entering free agency in 2027,” Labriola writes in his latest Asked and Answered segment for Steelers.com. “I wouldn’t characterize Herbig as unhappy, but as a competitor, I’m sure he wants to play more and be more involved in the defense.
“Getting a contract extension done this summer will be tricky in my opinion.”
In this episode, questions about 'stalling'; franchise tag tenders; Rodgers' football IQ; undrafted rookie contracts; Nick Herbig; announcing pre-draft visitors.https://t.co/NJmRnCGpCm
— Bob Labriola (@BobLabriola) March 19, 2026
There is nothing to indicate that Herbig is unhappy with his role or playing time, as the reader suggested in his question to Labriola. But as a young player who has done nothing but produce when on the field, and in line for a major payday in a year or so, it would make some sense if Herbig wanted to bet on himself and hit the open market after the 2026 season.
Last season, Herbig played 636 snaps, which were a career high. In those snaps, Herbig generated a career-high 48 pressures and a career-best 7.5 sacks. He took advantage of some injuries to Watt and Highsmith and produced at a high level, finishing with an 87.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
That production has people wanting more. There has to be a way to get all three on the field at the same time consistently, something the Steelers showed flashes of last season. With Graham overseeing the Xs and Os now, maybe that changes and the Steelers really tap into the three-headed monster at outside linebacker more often.
If so, good luck to opposing teams.
The Steelers still have plenty of cap space, and there’s a desire to keep Herbig long-term. After all, you can never have enough pass rushers, Watt is getting older and Highsmith has always struggled with injuries.
We’ll see what transpires this offseason after the draft. It might be tricky to get a Herbig extension done, like Labriola believes.
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