Steelers Insider Continues To Tear Apart A Risky Move During The 2026 Offseason

The Pittsburgh Steelers and General Manager Omar Khan had a busy offseason in 2026. There were a ton of moving parts, and there was a lot of change that was arose. The first order of business was finding a new head coach after Mike Tomlin decided to step down from his role following another embarrassing loss in the playoffs. Next, the team had to be improved in free agency and via the 2026 NFL Draft. Khan then dealt with some in-house contractual situations as the 2023 NFL Draft class became eligible for extensions. He was able to get deals done with two players from that class in Darnell Washington and Nick Herbig.

There are still some more extensions to get done, but Khan has done a good job taking care of business so far. The franchise signed Herbig to a four-year, $100 million deal with $42 million guaranteed. This came as a surprise to a lot of fans as TJ Watt signed a very lucrative extension ahead of the 2025 campaign and Alex Highsmith is under contract through the 2027 season. He is set to make roughly $41 million over those two years. 

Jack Sawyer also had a good rookie year in 2025, which means the room is very deep. Some were critical of the extension for Herbig as he is technically a backup, but he has been very productive when given an opportunity and should be apart of the franchise for a long time. Many fans speculated that this means either Watt or Highsmith will be traded, but that doesn't seem to be the case so far. 

Beat writer Gerry Dulac has been critical of the move, and he continued in that way with his comments on the matter during an appearance on FOX Sports Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.

"I still can't get over that they would pay a backup that much money without thinking, 'Okay, then we're gonna move on from someone.' I mean, immediately." Dulac said. "Usually you think, 'Okay, they do that, we're getting rid of a guy,' but that was not the intention and it certainly hasn't been. The amount of money they gave him to not let him walk? He would've never gotten that much in free agency, I don't think."

The Steelers were in danger of losing Herbig as he would have been a free agent after the 2026 season, so fans should feel good that he is locked up through the 2030 season. The cap has risen consistently in the offseason every year since 2020, so larger, risky contracts shouldn't spark as much worry as they used to.

It's worth noting that Dulac hasn't necessarily had his finger on the pulse of the organization in recent years. The team might want to move forward with three productive edge rushers in 2026, and then move on from Highsmith before the final year of his deal next year. This would give Herbig the chance to start in the first year of his extension. 

Steelers Believe Nick Herbig Is Worth Every Penny

Dulac made the point that the Steelers probably paid Herbig more than any team would have in free agency. That's arguably not true. Herbig has 16 sacks in his first three seasons, and some other edge rushers signed some big deals in free agency in 2026. Jaelan Phillips signed with the Carolina Panthers on a four-year, $120 million deal after having 12.5 sacks in the last three years. 

Odafe Oweh signed a four-year, $100 million deal with the Washington Commanders. He had more sacks than Herbig, but his deal also included $26 million more in guarantees. Jonathan Greenard also signed a four-year, $100 million deal with more guarantees. 

The cap is going to go up again in 2027, and the number would have been higher to keep Herbig. Once a player gets to free agency there is risk of a bidding war, especially at a premiere position like edge rusher.

What do you think of Dulac's assessment? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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