Nick Herbig agreed to a four-year contract extension Tuesday, not long after he talked to the media about his desire to be a Pittsburgh Steeler for life. What is somewhat surprising is his situation felt like the most complicated among the Steelers candidates for contract extensions.
That’s because of the presence of both T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Both are highly paid, and each are under contract through at least 2027. However, Steelers insider Gerry Dulac said he’s been told the Steelers aren’t planning to move one of those two.
“That doesn’t mean some team could call them, thinking they might want to unload someone, and a deal materialize,” Dulac wrote Wednesday in his Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reader chat. “I’m not saying that’s happening or anything like that, but you never know in this league how deals develop. I was checking after Herbig’s deal and was told there is no urgency to dump a high-priced player. We shall see.”
Alex Highsmith missed Wednesday’s practice due to an illness that seemingly doesn’t impact his standing with the team.
Watt, Highsmith and Herbig now give the Steelers three-high priced players at the same position, and none whose contract expires in the near future. That has naturally raised some questions about Watt and Highsmith’s future. Some, like Jeremy Fowler, have reported similar to what Dulac did in his chat. But that hasn’t stopped some from speculating, with Ray Fittipaldo predicting Highsmith could be moved before the 2026 season begins.
The Steelers do have plenty of talent in those three. And according to Dulac, part of the plan is to have them all on the field at once.
“But if you paid attention, they did some of that last year, too, with all 3 on the field at the same,” Dulac wrote.
Dulac is right that the Steelers flirted with having all three on the field at various points last season. This play in the Week 18 win over Baltimore is a good example. Watt and Highsmith are on the edge, with Herbig on the inside.
There are some varying skill sets among the three, so it certainly can work having them all on the field at once. In situations like this one, Herbig’s athleticism gives him an advantage over bigger interior lineman as well as running backs looking to pick up rushers. With a new, creative defensive coordinator in Patrick Graham, the Steelers definitely could use similar packages in 2026.
That’s if the Steelers keep both Watt and Highsmith around after extending Herbig. And while trading one is something Dulac acknowledges could happen, he says the plan is to keep all three of them.
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