There has been a lot of discussion about what the Pittsburgh Steelers will do as it pertains to their group of edge rushers. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith combine for over $62 million against the cap in 2026, and rising star Nick Herbig is due for an extension or the Steelers will have to watch him hit the open market in 2027.
Many thought the Steelers would manufacture a trade ahead of the draft to send Highsmith elsewhere, which would then elevate Herbig to the No. 2 edge rusher role and open the door
for an extension to get done quickly. Instead, all three remain on the roster, but Herbig is still without a long-term deal. And while that concerns many fans, Herbig’s agent Joe DiBendetto made it clear that Herbig wants to remain in Pittsburgh.
“He’s learning from Alex [Highsmith] and T.J. [Watt] from Day One,” DiBendetto told Breiden Fehoko. “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.”
As it currently stands, the Steelers have a projected $66 million in cap space in 2027, giving them more than enough money to get a long-term deal done with Herbig. The Wisconsin product had 7.5 sacks in 2025 and has 16 total for his career.
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