Nick Herbig’s role in Pittsburgh has turned into one of the stranger storylines around a defense that usually knows exactly how to deploy its best pieces.
The Steelers handed Herbig a four-year, $100 million extension in early June, and that kind of investment suggested a bigger spotlight was coming. Instead, through the first four weeks, he’s been on the field for 52 percent of the defensive snaps, down from 60 percent in 2025. He has also logged just 40 pass-rush reps, per Pro Football Reference.
That usage stands out because Pittsburgh has still been able to get after quarterbacks without needing Herbig to be the constant catalyst. Even so, the way he’s being used as a rusher remains hard to ignore, especially when his best work is still coming when he’s allowed to attack.
One of the most notable shifts has been his work in coverage. Over 17 games last season, Herbig had 54 total snaps in coverage, per PFF. In four games this season, he’s already up to 20 coverage reps, putting him on pace to blow past that 2025 total.
That increase helps explain why his pass-rush opportunities have been trimmed, but it also makes the next step pretty clear: the Steelers need to put him in more chances to get into the backfield.
The numbers back up the idea that Herbig has earned more of those chances. According to SumerSports, he owns the best pressure rate among Pittsburgh’s EDGE rushers at 20.5 percent.
That’s well ahead of Alex Highsmith at 13.6 percent, T.J. Watt at 12.1 percent and Jack Sawyer at 12.0 percent.
The sacks still haven’t shown up - Herbig has none so far this season - but the pressure rate suggests the production should follow if this keeps up.
His extension has also drawn fresh attention because Pittsburgh couldn’t work out a new deal with Joey Porter Jr. and then traded him to the Dallas Cowboys before the team’s Week 4 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football.
That situation makes it easy to compare the two decisions and wonder whether the Steelers may eventually regret how they handled Porter Jr. He played at a borderline elite level in 2025 and clearly had a case for a major payday this offseason.
Still, the move to pay Herbig was the right one. He’s been productive to start this season, and he looks like a player Pittsburgh can build around on defense for a long time.
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