Nick Herbig has spent his entire NFL career as a backup, but that didn’t stop the Pittsburgh Steelers from giving him a large contract extension. He has made the most of his chances, and the Steelers gave him a four-year contract worth up to $100 million because of that. While some people might not love that deal, former Steelers offensive lineman Trai Essex thinks that it could end up being a steal.
“Granted, he doesn’t have the resumé or the experience that the other guys that are getting paid the top dollar have,” Essex said Tuesday on his Snap Count podcast. “But when we see the playmaking that he’s made the last few years, I see the potential of him being a top-five rusher in this NFL.
“When you extrapolate the amount of time that he’s on the field, his numbers would match those of the top-end pass rushers if he was on the field as much as they were.”
Herbig is only 24, so his best days could still be ahead of him. That could be especially true because he’s been sitting behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Herbig has only logged 11 starts up to this point, but he still has 16 total sacks and nine forced fumbles.
Still, becoming a top-five edge rusher is a tall task. That position is currently full of talent. Will Anderson Jr. was a first-team All-Pro last year, and he’s also only 24 years old. Players like Micah Parsons and Aidan Hutchinson are still well under 30, too. The top pass rushers are in an exclusive club.
Herbig might have to wait another year to become a full-fledged starter. Watt and Highsmith still figure to be in front of him this year. While Herbig could see more snaps because of his big deal, there’s still only a limited amount to go around.
However, even if Herbig doesn’t become a top-five pass rusher, that doesn’t mean his contract won’t be a steal. Edge rusher price tags have ballooned in recent years. That likely isn’t going to stop, either. Herbig dominated as a backup. If he continues to make plays as a starter, then his deal could age well.
The Steelers have a solid history of developing top pass rushers, too. Watt is the most recent example. James Harrison went undrafted and was the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year. Herbig has continued to defy the odds in the NFL. The next step could be for him to make Essex’s prediction come true.
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