Steelers Allegedly Could Make Risky Decision On Nick Herbig

It is no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers have consistently had the highest-paid defense in the NFL in recent seasons. The desire to invest heavily in that side of the ball fit the mold of how Mike Tomlin wanted to win football games. Now that Mike McCarthy will be in charge, all bets are off and several familiar faces could be on their way out sooner rather than later. However, that doesn't mean that some young defenders shouldn't get extensions based on how well they have played. Nick Herbig immediately comes to mind, as the edge rusher is planning to enter his fourth professional campaign.

The biggest challenge for Herbig moving forward is that TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith are two other outside linebackers that deserve to start based on past production. If the Steelers decided to give Herbig a substantial amount of money, the team could have close to $100 million in cap space devoted to edge rushers. That just doesn't seem feasible, regardless of how talented these guys are.

Pittsburgh doesn't typically negotiate lucrative long-term deals until around the summertime, so fans will have an idea of the statuses behind both Watt and Highsmith prior to then. There's a slight chance that one could be shopped, but there's no way to know if the market for either will be what the front office thinks it should be. Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was asked about Herbig's situation in a recent fan chat, and noted that the team may simply do nothing.

"They have to figure that out," Fittipaldo wrote. "When you hit on a guy like Herbig in the draft, you want to sign him to a second contract, but it's going to be hard for him to start unless there are injuries to Watt or Highsmith. Maybe they try to make a deal or maybe they just let him play out his contract and see where things stand next year at this time."

The Steelers could try to sign Herbig to a modest contract, but there's no reason for him to accept that if he believes he is worth more than is being offered. On the flip side, Pittsburgh may just let him play out his rookie deal, and worry about the rest come the 2027 offseason. 

This would be a risky move for several reasons. Not only could the defender decide to "hold-in" during training camp, but even if he does accept his fate and play, the chances of him not landing somewhere else in 2027 would be slim.

Herbig's big-play ability cannot be ignored. He hasn't gotten the full starter treatment because when Watt and Highsmith are both healthy, they respectively get the nods to be out there the majority of the time. It would be a mistake, however, for the Steelers to not entertain keeping Herbig long-term. He is constantly getting after the quarterback for the defense.

Pittsburgh could always attempt to trade Herbig, but this would be a decision that would not go over well with the fan base. The 24-year-old could potentially just be getting ready to enter his prime. It seems as if Highsmith could be the most likely to get dealt; however, many will be very curious to see how the Steelers handle the situation with Herbig. He deserves to get paid, but how, and when that will occur is anyone's guess.

Steelers Facing A Good But Tough Problem To Have On Defense

Pittsburgh arguably has the best edge-rushing trio in the entire NFL. That is great when one is on his rookie contract. Now that Herbig is approaching his second professional deal, things are starting to get a little more difficult. Pittsburgh could roll the dice and let him play it out, but if an injury occurs to either Watt or Highsmith and Herbig has a career year, it's going to make the situation much more complicated for the Steelers.

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