Grading the extension: Steelers put themselves in a tricky situation following massive deal for budding star Nick Herbig
The Pittsburgh Steelers just handed out a massive contract extension for budding star Nick Herbig? But given the names in that room and the price of his deal, was it smart? We grade the Steelers’ decision.
The Pittsburgh Steelers started day one of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, where two of the main talking points were the hold-ins from budding defensive stars Nick Herbig and Joey Porter Jr.
While both were in attendance, Herbig largely stood by and watched the more intense drills as he awaited a new deal. He would go on to say that he wanted to be a Steeler for life, and just hours later, he took a massive step in doing just that. But was it smart from the Steelers perspective? We break down the details and grade the extension.
Nick Herbig 2025 stats
- 30 total tackles.
- 7.5 sacks.
- 3 forced fumbles.
Steelers sign Nick Herbig to massive contract extension
“Edge Nick Herbig and the Pittsburgh Steelers reached agreement today on a four-year, $100 million dollar extension that includes $42 million guaranteed per MikeGarafolo and me. The deal was negotiated by Joe DiBenedetto, Andy Simms and Ken Sarnoff of 1OF1FOOTBALL. Herbig is thought to be the first non-quarterback to surpass $100 million without starting an entire NFL season in his career.” – Adam Schefter, ESPN
The only thing surprising about this news is when it dropped. Traditionally, the Steelers have waited until the season was close to make their deals, but Nick Herbig is clearly a priority for the Steelers in the long term.
He has blossomed from a hybrid stacked backer or EDGE defender who was viewed as a tweener or designated pass rusher, to a starting caliber EDGE that now makes the 16th most at the position in the league.
His sack numbers have gone up year over year, and at only 24 years old, he’s still an ascending talent that is just scratching the surface of his potential. Locking him in early is a smart move on the Steelers part. The only problem? The other names in that room.
Steelers now have a decision to make at EDGE
Pittsburgh has notoriously been one of the higher spending teams when it comes to the defensive side of the ball. They just signed T.J. Watt to what was a record deal at the EDGE rushing position less than a year ago, and Alex Highsmith will be looking for a new deal sooner rather than later as his guaranteed money begins to expire.
So someone is going to be the odd man out. It obviously won’t be Herbig, and while Highsmith may seem like the easy answer, T.J. Watt is someone who has been pegged as a potential trade candidate well before this news.
Final Grade: A
While this creates an issue in terms of who goes where down the road, the Steelers just locked up the future of their edge rushing unit and via a very market-friendly deal, given his $25m APY.
Herbig has yet to start a full season’s worth of games, and he has still proven to be dynamic in small sample sizes. It was smart business to get this deal done early and let the Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt chips fall where they may.