Nick Herbig
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FOX Sports's Ralph Vacchiano proposed the Pittsburgh Steelers trade edge rusher Nick Herbig to the San Francisco 49ers for two draft picks.
General manager Omar Khan told reporters at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine edge rusher Nick Herbig is a player the team wants to “have around for a long time.” But that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from suggesting offseason trade destinations for Herbig.
This week, FOX Sports’s Ralph Vacchiano named the Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher the one player the San Francisco 49ers should acquire during the 2026 NFL Draft.
Vacchiano proposed the Steelers trade Herbig to the 49ers for a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 conditional fifth-round selection.
“Herbig, 24, is stuck in a rotation behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith in Pittsburgh and in the final year of his contract,” wrote Vacchiano. “He had 13 sacks in a limited role over the past two seasons and would be well worth the high pick it would probably cost for the Steelers to swap him.”
Herbig has posted 16 sacks with 23 tackles for loss, and 32 quarterback hits in 45 NFL games. He has also submitted nine forced fumbles, three pass defenses and an interception.
Last season, Herbig registered a career-best 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and 18 quarterback hits.
Why the Steelers Could Trade Edge Rusher Nick Herbig
Nick Herbig
GettyFOX Sports’s Ralph Vacchiano proposed the Pittsburgh Steelers trade edge rusher Nick Herbig to the San Francisco 49ers for two draft picks.
Vacchiano is hardly the only analyst to suggest Herbig is on the outs in Pittsburgh this offseason.
With Herbig’s contract expiring after 2026, he’s a rather easy trade candidate to identify on the Steelers roster. The team already has about $62.1 million in salary cap space this season tied to edge rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. It’s hard to envision the Steelers being willing to dedicate much more to the position.
That’s regardless of what Khan might say publicly about Herbig.
Steelers insider Mark Kaboly proposed the idea this week of the team offering Herbig a 2-year, $30 million extension before the season. That could keep Herbig in Pittsburgh on an affordable contract through 2028.
But Kaboly questioned whether Herbig would agree to that.
For one thing, Herbig might be willing to play out the season to see how much he could raise his value. Herbig could also prefer to leave in free agency to play on a team where he’s a clear-cut starter.
If the Steelers are concerned about that happening, getting a second-round pick back for Herbig would be good value.
Will Steelers Trade Edge Rusher Before 2026 NFL Draft?
Nick Herbig
GettyPittsburgh Steelers edge rusher Nick Herbig is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
The Steelers don’t have to trade Herbig this offseason. They could roll into the 2026 campaign with their strong edge rushing depth and see how the season unfolds.
If 2026 goes as past years have, the team is going to need Herbig. Watt and Highsmith have missed chunks of games over the past couple years due to injury.
There’s another alternative this offseason — trade a different edge rusher besides Herbig. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac seemed to float that possibility Wednesday.
When asked about a potential Herbig trade, Dulac wrote, “I think the trade would involve someone ahead of him.”
Because of his name, high-priced contract and disappointing 2025 season, Watt doesn’t seem like a great trade candidate this spring. That leaves Highsmith as the best possibility.
There hasn’t been any concrete reports about Highsmith being a trade candidate. But one way the Steelers could keep Herbig and move him into the starting lineup would be to trade Highsmith.