Steelers Now
When it comes to the success of any NFL team, the injury bug can always make or break a season, and with the Pittsburgh Steelers entering 2026 with several key players at or — in the case of starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers — well beyond 30 years old, depth will be important.
Do the Steelers have enough depth to get by this season? Well, by one metric, they’re looking pretty good. Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com listed his NFL All-Backup Team on Monday, and he listed two Steelers players among the league’s top second-teamers.
This list is comprised of back up players who may not have the status and name recognition of the starting players, but are trusted by their teammates and coaches when their numbers are called. For the Steelers, outside linebacker Nick Herbig, and running back Rico Dowdle made the list.
When Herbig recently signed a four year, $100 million dollar contract extension, many fans and the national media were surprised, especially considering that Herbig has been a back up for the majority of his career, filling in for T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith when they have missed time due to injury.
That’s happened pretty often recently. Watt missed the Steelers’ playoff game at the end of the 2024 season and played in 14 games in 2025. Highsmith missed six games in 2024 and four games last season.
In 2025, Herbig had a breakout season in which he led all NFL edge rushers in pass rush win rate at 25.0%, and he finished with 7.5 sacks, 18 quarterback knockdowns and 13 tackles for loss while playing 610 snaps.
Dowdle is new to the team, signing with the Steelers after a one year stint with the Carolina Panthers, where he ran for over 1,000 yards in 2025, including 206 yards against the Miami Dolphins, and 183 yards against the Dallas Cowboys in consecutive games. With his hard hitting style, and the ability to break tackles at the second level, he should be a great rotation back with veteran Jaylen Warren.
While Herbig and Dowdle might not be household names to football fans outside of the steel city, they are valuable members of the team, and their impact on the game is crucial for a team that has post season aspirations, as the Steelers do.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Two Steelers Named among NFL’s Best Backups
