With Herbig locked up long term, Alex Highsmith could become the odd man out in Pittsburgh


Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers and edge rusher Nick Herbig reached an agreement on a contract extension Tuesday, per ESPN, which locks Herbig into the team's long-term future. It's a four-year deal worth $100 million, including $42 million guaranteed. The hefty raise reportedly makes Herbig the first non-quarterback to land a $100 million contract without starting an entire NFL season in his career.

Across his first three years in the NFL, Herbig logged 45 appearances with just 11 starts. He has never started more than six games in a single season and is effectively the third option in the pass-rushing scheme behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

"I wouldn't call myself 'not a starter,'" Herbig said on Tuesday. "I would just say I'm a team guy. If you need me to play off the ball, on the ball, need me to run down a punt, I'm a Steeler. There's no starters and backups. I'm a Steeler."

The Steelers' financial commitment to Herbig might shake up that pecking order, though. While Watt remains the crown jewel of the defensive front and will make $32 million fully guaranteed this season, Highsmith's contract stipulates that his $14.5 million scheduled earnings are non-guaranteed. The latter could be the odd man out in a deep and suddenly quite expensive group that only has two starting jobs to hand out.

Highsmith is suddenly the lowest earner of the three and has just two years left on his contract, whereas Watt and Herbig will remain under team control for three years and five years, respectively.

Despite holding only the third-largest role among Steelers edge rushers, Herbig continues to develop into a vital part of a fearsome defense. He increased his sack production in each of the last two years and is fresh off a 2025 season in which he more than doubled his career tackle for loss total. His 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and 18 quarterback hits last year were all career highs.

Herbig and the Steelers had been working through contract negotiations for much of the offseason, and mere hours before news of his extension came to light, he told reporters that it is his desire "to be a Steeler for life."

Source