Quick question for those who think the Steelers were nuts for signing outside linebacker Nick Herbig to a $103.67 million extension ($42 million guaranteed): What was the rational alternative?
Tell me what you would have done with the team’s youngest and in some ways most prolific pass rusher going into the final year of his contract.
Sit and wait?
Let him walk after the season?
Tag him after the season?
Trade him?
Seems to me the only sensible move was keeping the 24-year-old Herbig and worrying about the other two highly paid edge rushers after that.
The Steelers made a mistake by signing T.J. Watt to that bloated $41-million-per-year deal. They couldn’t afford to let one mistake become two.
Better said, they could afford it, because they aren’t paying a quarterback big money.
Herbig had to be the priority. You don’t discover a talented player like that in the fourth round at a premium position, develop him and then let him walk before the prime years of his career because you prioritized a couple of guys who are a combined 60 years old.
“But he’s a part-time player!”
Yes, a part-time player who led the Steelers in quarterback pressures (29) and hurries (11), according to profootballreference.com, tied for the team lead in quarterback knockdowns (10), finished second to Alex Highsmith in sacks with 7.5, had 13 tackles for loss, forced three fumbles, recovered a fumble for a touchdown and had an interception despite playing just 60% of the snaps.
I mean, you watched him play, yes?
NFL Next Gen Stats says Herbig also led the entire league in pass-rush win rate, which sounds like some nerdy analytic, but is really pretty simple: He beat his blocker at a higher rate than anybody in the NFL. You don’t wait around for that guy and hope he’ll take a hometown discount.
This signing was not unlike what you see in baseball these days — teams identifying a young player with huge upside and locking him into a long-term deal early in his career.
Obviously, there is risk. You’re essentially making a bet. You pay players based on what you think they’re going to do, not just on what they’ve done. The Steelers were guilty of emphasizing the latter by overpaying Watt last offseason.
They should have traded Watt. They still should — and if multiple teams were trying to trade for Myles Garrett, as reported, then multiple teams could still be interested in a lesser but still high-quality edge rusher (although Watt’s contract might keep that from happening). Maybe somebody’s desperate.
Highsmith, who turns 29 in training camp, might be the better trade candidate because he’s coming off a good season and has a more manageable contract.
Highsmith’s eyes must be wide open at the Herbig deal. It wasn’t that long ago (before the 2023 season) that Highsmith signed a four-year extension — and it pales in comparison to Herbig’s. The Steelers got Highsmith, who was coming off a 14.5-sack season, for $68 million with $27.7 million guaranteed.
The Steelers have several options at the position now, plus Jack Sawyer waiting. As colleague Tim Benz wrote, new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is promising to cook up schemes featuring Watt, Herbig and Highsmith.
They could indeed keep all three this season. They could then trade either Watt or Highsmith before next season, when the big money on Herbig’s deal kicks in and when Highsmith will be due for an extension going into the final year of his deal.
Or they could trade Highsmith now, which seems like the smarter move because his value — two years left on a team-friendly deal, healthy and coming off a productive season — will never be higher.
The smartest move of all, however, was prioritizing the youngest of the group and securing his future here. The Steelers didn’t let the error of signing Watt keep them from doing what needed to be done with Herbig.
Better one mistake than two.
