Steelers' TJ Watt And Alex Highsmith Will Never Admit This But They Feel The Pressure Rising

Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan clearly gave a huge tell in the 2026 offseason. That, of course, happened after he decided to hand rising star edge rusher Nick Herbig a four-year, $100 million contract extension. The move wasn't just about rewarding Herbig for what he's already accomplished. It also sent a clear message about how highly the organization views his future and the role they believe he can eventually play.

The interesting thing about Herbig isn't his production. Every time he's been on the field and given meaningful opportunities, he's delivered splash play after splash play. The challenge has simply been opportunity. Playing behind TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith, one of the NFL's premier pass-rushing duos, has naturally limited the number of snaps available to the 24-year-old edge rusher.

At the same time, there's no denying Herbig has benefited from the situation as well. Opposing offenses are forced to devote so much attention to Watt and Highsmith that Herbig often finds favorable one-on-one matchups when he enters the game. He's taken advantage of those chances, consistently making impact plays and proving he's capable of producing whenever his number is called. That combination of efficiency, upside, and youth is likely a major reason Pittsburgh felt comfortable making such a significant financial commitment.

Either way, the fact that the third edge rusher on the depth chart now has $100 million behind his name changes the dynamic inside the Steelers' outside linebacker room. Former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch recently explained on The Snap Count why he believes Watt and Highsmith are facing more pressure than ever entering the 2026 training camp.

"Yes, Alex Highsmith and TJ Watt have been the starters for years, but when you have the young up-and-comer and the dollars have matched that, you know there's pressure," Batch said. "They may not ever say it out loud, but it reflects what the organization thinks of the guy behind them. So they know they can't take any days off throughout the course of training camp because they have that young, hungry dog right behind them who's willing to take any bit of reps that he's leaving on the table. So that will be an interesting group to follow."

Whether Watt and Highsmith ever acknowledge it publicly is beside the point. There is zero chance Watt or Highsmith would ever come out and speak ill of a teammate getting paid. However, the human nature side of things has to kick in at some point. 

Steelers Sent A Clear Message With Nick Herbig

The Steelers just handed their third edge rusher $100 million, and organizations don't make that kind of investment without expecting an even bigger role in the future. Herbig has already proven he can capitalize on every opportunity he's given, meaning the margin for error inside Pittsburgh's outside linebacker room may be smaller than it's ever been. As training camp unfolds, all eyes will be on one of the NFL's deepest and most competitive position groups.

For new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, it's a bit of an embarrassment of riches. Though, as Steelers fans saw under the previous regime, talent means nothing if the scheme isn't right. Over the last couple of seasons, this defense hasn't lived up to either its cost or its talent level. The hope is that things can change under Graham, who now begins his tenure with three elite edge rushers, all of whom are under lucrative contracts.

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