With training camp less than three weeks away, the Steelers’ outside linebacker room is already shaping up as one of the most intriguing parts of the roster.
On paper, Pittsburgh has three players at the position who are being paid like starters: T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig.
That creates a simple problem and a complicated one. There are only two spots to fill, even if the Steelers can get all three on the field at times.
That kind of setup figures to be rare, and it makes Herbig’s role especially worth watching after the team committed so much to him.
The camp picture gets even more interesting when you look beyond the top three. Highsmith and Herbig both have histories of soft tissue injuries that have cost them games.
Watt, meanwhile, will turn 32 years old this October. And while he’s still Watt, the list of pass rushers who have piled up double-digit sacks at that age is a short one.
Behind them, Jack Sawyer looks like the clear fourth outside linebacker. The group also includes International player Julius Welschof, Jamin Davis and Jacoby Windmon.
Davis, a former first-round pick, is trying to restart his career as an EDGE rusher after moving over from off-ball linebacker. Windmon looks more like a camp body who will need to flash enough to hang around on the practice squad.
The bigger question is how the Steelers sort out the workload. Herbig’s four-year, $100 million extension naturally sparked debate about whether he should be the starter over Highsmith or Watt.
One view says the money points to Herbig. Another says Patrick Graham could lean on a three-man rotation in 2026, with Sawyer mixed in at times, to keep everyone fresh and cut down the wear and tear.
There’s also the trade angle, and Highsmith is the name that stands out. Teams are expected to call if they haven’t already, and his contract is the most appealing to move among the three because he’s younger than Watt.
Herbig, of course, is not going anywhere. Highsmith, though, was the Steelers’ best pass rusher in 2025 by one measure: he led the team in sacks and topped his position group in tackles.
He also looks like a player who would have plenty of motivation.
Still, the most likely outcome seems straightforward: the Steelers keep all three for this season. Herbig is too expensive to move, Watt is difficult to trade right now, and Highsmith may simply be too valuable to deal before the season begins.
The real pivot point could come later. If Watt and Highsmith stay healthy and productive but the Steelers’ record slips, a trade deadline move becomes possible. A contender might want a proven pass rusher to help lock up a playoff berth or home-field advantage, and Pittsburgh could decide to turn that into draft capital.
That kind of move would also fit a certain logic. If the Steelers can trim salary and pick up a draft pick or two, why wouldn’t they at least consider it?
But Art Rooney II has made it clear he isn’t interested in rebuilds. He wants the team competing every year, and moving a top defender before the season doesn’t really match that approach.
So for now, the safest bet is that Pittsburgh heads into camp with Watt, Highsmith and Herbig all in the mix, and lets the rest sort itself out from there.
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