Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy recently reflected on the moment that Nick Herbig got his attention. It occurred in Week 5 of the 2024 season, when McCarthy was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys were playing the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and McCarthy was well aware of what his offensive line had to deal with in Herbig.
“Playing against Nick, he got my attention. We were worried about the matchup in pass protection, but he gave us issues in the run game, too,” McCarthy said in an interview with Brian Batko of Steelers.com.
McCarthy”s Cowboys beat the Steelers, 20-17, thanks to a game-winning touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to Jalen Tolbert with 20 seconds remaining.
In 41 defensive snaps, Herbig recorded two tackles (one solo), one tackle for loss, one quarterback hit, a fumble recovery and a half-sack.
Last Wednesday, Herbig signed a four-year, $100 million contract extension that includes $42 million in guaranteed money. That contract will add onto the end of his $3.674 million in salary that he is still owed in 2026, the final year of his rookie contract.
The full details on the contract have been revealed by OverTheCap. $21 million of the contract is fully guaranteed at signing. Herbig received a $19.676 million signing bonus and his 2026 salary is fully guaranteed.
The other $21 million is his 2027 base salary in the form of injury guarantees.
His cap hits in each year are $5.4 million in 2026, $25.2 million in 2027, $22.2 million in 2028, $22.8 million in 2029 and $28.1 million in 2030.
Herbig, 24, has displayed exactly why he demanded such a payday over the past three years, racking up 79 tackles, 16 sacks, nine forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, three passes defensed and one interception all while working in a rotation with fellow outside linebackers Watt and Highsmith.
His production has also climbed each year. After recording three sacks as a rookie, Herbig posted 5.5 sacks in 2024 before setting a new career high with 7.5 sacks in 2025. He has not only become an important rotational contributor but has also positioned himself as a cornerstone of the franchise’s future at outside linebacker.
McCarthy and his staff have been planning on innovative schemes involving Herbig for months.
“You don’t draw up schemes as the season gets going. These are things we’ve been working on since January,” McCarthy said. “We’re excited to get Nick done. He’s part of some of the newer things we’re doing moving forward.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Mike McCarthy Shares Moment That Nick Herbig Got His Attention
