Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to have struck gold with one of their mid-round picks.
The Pittsburgh Steelers recently locked up outside linebacker Nick Herbig for the foreseeable future with a four-year, $100 million contract extension. However, it has been debated by some if he was worth the big payday, given his limited amount of production.
Former Steelers offensive lineman Trai Essex is not worried at all, though. In fact, he thinks the contract could age as one of the biggest steals in the league.
“Granted, he doesn’t have the resumé or the experience that the other guys that are getting paid the top dollar have,” Essex said on his Snap Count podcast. “But when we see the playmaking that he’s made the last few years, I see the potential of him being a top-five rusher in the NFL. When you extrapolate the amount of time that he’s on the field, his numbers would match those of the top-end pass rushers if he was on the field as much as they were.”
Herbig, 24, has certainly displayed the talent of one of the top players at his position in his limited action.
Since being selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, he’s recorded 79 tackles, 16 sacks, nine forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, three passes defensed and one interception while working in a rotation with fellow outside linebackers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
Only time will tell if Herbig can continue that type of production, especially if he sees more playing time, but the Steelers likely believe that to be very possible given the investment they’ve put into him.
Herbig’s deal could also be looked back on as a very smart move as Watt is entering the later stages of his career and Highsmith is approaching the end of his four-year contract extension.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Ex-Steeler Thinks Rising Star Could Become Top-Five Player at Position
