Steelers' Nick Herbig Draws Comparison To The Great James Harrison

The Pittsburgh Steelers' pass rush has gone from being heavily questioned, to being as electric as everyone anticipated for 2025. The front seven has combined for 11 sacks in Weeks 3 and 4. Every player seems to be contributing to this phase of the defense, as quarterbacks have been visibly uncomfortable in the pocket. The Minnesota Vikings tried to run "max protection" schemes on offense to give their quarterback more time, but it didn't work for long. Hopefully, that performance keeps up once the Steelers return from the bye week.

Everyone knows about how great TJ Watt is, but his partner in crime the past few games has been making a name for himself as well. Nick Herbig has 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble over the previous two weeks. He would almost certainly be a starter on every other NFL team, but he will be losing snaps soon, as Alex Highsmith is almost ready to return from his high ankle sprain. 

While making an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Mark Kaboly spoke about Herbig, and how his dominance almost reminds him of a former Defensive Player of the Year.

"I think it's become crystal clear that one guy can't block [Nick] Herbig at this point," Kaboly said. "He reminds me of Deebo: James Harrison in that way. Totally different body style, totally different way they play, but if you're going to single him up, he's going to find a way to beat you, just like Deebo was always able to do. Different body style, of course, but he's definitely that good."

James Harrison was known for trying to bully the opposing offensive tackle into submission with a strong outside move. Meanwhile, Herbig has the ability to just fly by the blocker before he can get his hands on the speedy linebacker. It doesn't matter how you get to the quarterback, as long as you do so without getting a penalty called. If you can draw two guys on every snap, you are still contributing. 

Getting that kind of comparison is a massive compliment for Herbig. Like with Harrison, teams have to gameplan around stopping Herbig. If they don't, he has the ability to fly around the blind side and do more than just hit the quarterback. He can force turnovers with strip sacks or just making the passer throw it early to avoid getting thrown to the ground.

Steelers Have More Than Just Herbig For Opponents To Gameplan For

Herbig usually gets those one-on-one matchups because opposing offensive coordinators are way too focused on shutting down Watt on the other side. The third-year edge rusher may be great, but he's still not a former Defensive Player of the Year, or a generational talent. Herbig probably isn't complaining about Watt taking all of the attention in the media, and in film rooms across the league. 

Teams are always double and triple teaming Watt, so it's hard for them to justify sending extra blockers to the other side to also take care of Herbig -- especially with other studs causing havoc in the middle of the line. This is why the Steelers were able to rack up 11 total sacks in a two-game span: it's hard to give every pass rusher the attention they need to keep them quiet.

To make matters worse for opposing teams, the Steelers have brought back "Blitzburgh" as a scheme. If you manage to get multiple blockers on each edge rusher, there is a good chance that a linebacker will come screaming into the backfield to make his presence known as well. If you prepare for those blitzers, Watt and Herbig will just make a quarterback sandwich. 

What do you think about Herbig drawing comparisons to Harrison, as well as how well he works with Watt? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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