Nick Herbig has been a rocket ship that’s only on its way up ever since he set foot in the NFL. Year over year, he has seen his sack totals increase, and better yet, he’s rounded into form as a three-down defender who is no longer just a designated pass rusher for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Which, alongside approaching year four and the final year of his rookie deal, is why he is due for a big payday. The question is, will that come from the Pittsburgh Steelers? Or someone else. Herbig’s agent has weighed in on where things stand.

Nick Herbig wants to be in Pittsburgh

“I fully believe if Nick was starting full-time in this league, he’d be one of the top-5 best edge rushers in football,” Herbig’s agent Joe DiBenedetto said when speaking with former Steeler Breiden Fehoko on ‘The Fehoko Show.’ “Opportunity is everything, right? He’s learning from Alex (Highsmith) and T.J. (Watt) from Day 1. Without getting into too much of the nuances that is ongoing, Nick wants to be a Pittsburgh Steeler for life, and I hope that we can make that happen.”

If you remember back to the days before the 2026 NFL Draft, there was a lot of talk that the Steelers could be looking to move one of their edge rushers, largely because Herbig’s payday is coming soon.

But the same could be said for Alex Highsmith and a third contract. So the Steelers have a few options. The least likely seems to let both Highsmith and Herbig play out their contracts and go from there.

But paying three pass rushers may also be a problem for the Steelers, given T.J. Watt’s recent contract.

Who will be the odd man out in Pittsburgh?

To me, the most likely scenario is that the Steelers let Alex Highsmith play out his contract before letting him test the market, while simultaneously extending Nick Herbig and tying him to the team for years to come.

Having three of the best pass rushers in the league is a great problem to have when all you have to worry about is rotations and reps. When it comes to financials, however, that’s where things get tricky.