Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher Nick Herbig is no longer just a promising rotational piece -- he’s becoming a full-on problem for opposing offensive coordinators to prepare for.
In Week 6 against the Browns, the third-year pass rusher delivered the best performance of his young career, erupting for eight total pressures, including 2.5 sacks, three hurries, and two quarterback hits. Per Next Gen Stats, he also registered 5 quick pressures (under 2.5 seconds), numbers that were all career highs.
He wrecked the game from start to finish, terrorizing Cleveland’s front five with a relentless blend of speed and power. A player who has been annually looked upon as a guy that has always played second-fiddle to TJ Watt, Herbig now has 4.5 sacks in his last three games, emerging as one of the league’s hottest pass rushers.
Nick Herbig has emerged as the Pittsburgh Steelers most explosive pass rusher
The Steelers have long built their identity around defense, and specifically, around great edge play.
Watt remains the headliner -- a generational closer capable of taking over games whenever he wants. But every elite pass rush needs a complementary force. Alex Highsmith has filled that role admirably in recent years, but Herbig is making a compelling case that Pittsburgh might be shifting toward a true three-headed monster on the edge.
What makes Herbig so fun to watch -- and so difficult to block -- is how different his style is from Watt’s.
Where Watt wins with elite technique and counters, Herbig leans into chaos. He’s twitchy, low to the ground, and explodes around the arc like he’s been launched from a slingshot. He’s already mastered the speed-to-power conversion that many young rushers struggle to unlock, and his motor never stops.
Against Cleveland, there were multiple plays where initial contact didn’t slow him down -- he simply redirected and finished anyway.
For Pittsburgh and HC Mike Tomlin, Herbig's rise couldn’t come at a better time. The Steelers are rolling at 4-1, and the rest of the division looks in shambles through six weeks. And it's still early...
Perhaps most importantly, Herbig is earning trust in crucial situations. He’s no longer just rotating in for relief snaps -- he’s now the one closing drives, dictating protections, and tilting field position.
That’s how stars are made in Pittsburgh. They don’t just flash potential; they stack impact.
To start the campaign, Herbig was a rising player to watch with all the tools in the world to become a high-level edge threat should the lightbulb turn on. Now he’s a certified problem, and one who looks like he’s only getting started.
If he keeps this pace up, the Steelers won’t just have one of the league’s most feared pass rush duos -- they’ll have one of the most terrifying trios. And that’s the kind of formula that wins as the New Year arrives, no matter what level the offense and QB Aaron Rodgers execute at.