With free agency around the corner, Aaron Schatz of ESPN named a player from each NFL team who need a change of scenery. For the Pittsburgh Steelers , Schatz thinks outside linebacker Nick Herbig could benefit from leaving the Steelers, especially with being behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith .
"This is a different kind of call for a change of scenery. Herbig is probably happy in Pittsburgh, and he certainly is providing a lot of value for the Steelers. However, it would be really nice to see what Herbig could do as a starter somewhere — because right now, he's stuck behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith as a rotational player," Schatz wrote. "Herbig led the league with a 26.3% pass rush win rate in 2025, and he had 7.5 sacks, despite playing just 52% of snaps. Could he lead the league if he were starting for another team?"
Herbig was the Steelers' fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and has been a revelation as a part-time pass rusher, recording 16 sacks over his first three seasons, despite never playing more than 60% of the team's defensive snaps.
Herbig is heading into the final year of his deal, so the only way he leaves the Steelers is via a trade.
Pittsburgh Steelers OLB Nick Herbig at practice on Dec. 24, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt gave Herbig a ringing endorsement an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show last July.
"Herbig is great," Watt said. "Herbig is very underrated," Watt said when discussing the Steelers' outside linebackers room that features his brother T.j. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Herbig and rookie Jack Sawyer .
Last May, Pro Football Focus compiled a list of the most underrated players on all 32 NFL teams. In regard to the Steelers, Herbig was tabbed as the most underrated Steeler .
"Herbig isn't going to get the same recognition as T.J. Watt or Alex Highsmith along the Steelers' defensive line, and part of that has to do with his much lower snap share, but it's worth noting how well he has performed when he is given an opportunity.
"Since 2022, Herbig owns a 91.4 PFF pass-rush grade, which ranks seventh among all edge defenders with at least 250 pass-rush snaps. With Watt and Highsmith occasionally missing time due to injury, having a high-end pass rusher like Herbig waiting in the wings is a very underrated and valuable option that not many teams have the luxury of."
Alan Saunders contributed.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Change of Scenery? Nick Herbig Could Seek Future Beyond Steelers
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