Steelers LB Nick Herbig eager to prove he's worth the investment after signing lucrative new deal

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Nick Herbig knew most NFL teams thought he was too small to play outside linebacker. That three years of creating chaos across the Big Ten while coming off the edge at Wisconsin wouldn't be good enough to convince clubs that he could do the same at the sport's highest level.

The Pittsburgh Steelers felt differently.

“They had a vision for me,” Herbig said.

One that played out regularly since the Steelers selected the 6-foot-2, 240-pounder in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. Three years and 16 sacks later, Herbig has evolved from perennial Pro Bowler T.J. Watt's pet project to one of the bright young pass rushers in the NFL.

The new five-year contract the Steelers made official on Wednesday is both a testament to the work Herbig has already done and the work he believes is still to come.

“I can wait to show them that they made the right choice,” Herbig said.

Pittsburgh didn't need much convincing, making Herbig the first player from its largely productive 2023 draft class to agree to a new contract, a group that includes cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and tight end Darnell Washington.

“This is a big deal,” first-year Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said.

In more ways than one.

Locking the 24-year-old Herbig down long term gives the Steelers perhaps the most well-compensated group of edge rushers in the league. Watt, the franchise's career leader in sacks, is scheduled to have a cap hit of $42 million this season. The total value of Herbig's new deal could be worth north of $100 million, with dependable Alex Highsmith’s scheduled to make more than $40 million across the next two years.

That's a lot of money to pour into a position group, though McCarthy believes the investment is worth it.

“You pay players that obviously you feel deserve it,” he said. “So you can never have enough good football players, especially at the outside linebacker or the linebacker position. They’re all playmakers, so I’m thrilled to death that we have them all.”

For how long remains to be seen. McCarthy pointed to the attrition that comes with a 17-game schedule as part of the reason it's important to have so many high-impact pass rushers. Watt, Highsmith and Herbig all missed time last season because of injuries.

Highsmith was not at minicamp on Wednesday due to what Watt described as an illness. The six-year veteran had been a full participant in drills on Tuesday.

“I don't know if I can comment on that,” Watt said. “Yeah, he's sick. I don't want to put his sickness out there, but he's sick.”

Watt described the defense as a whole as a tight-knit group, though some bonds run deeper than others. Herbig arrived at Wisconsin in 2020 just as Watt — who starred for the Badgers before being selected by the Steelers in the first round in 2017 — was blossoming into one of the NFL's top players.

The two connected when Watt did a video conference with Herbig and the rest of Wisconsin's linebackers. At the end of the talk, Watt encouraged the group to reach out individually if they ever wanted advice.

Herbig didn't need to be told twice, sending Watt direct messages on social media looking for pointers. Herbig dropped Watt game footage, and Watt would respond the way a coach would, drawing on the clips and offering suggestions.

What stood out to Watt wasn't what Herbig was doing wrong, but what he was doing right.

“At the time, he was much further along than I was (in college) and just the raw talent that he had,” Watt said. “It was just a matter of time before he (blew up) and I think that he still has a lot left in the tank to showcase moving forward.”

Pittsburgh is betting on it. That's fine by Herbig, who has said repeatedly that he wants to be a “Steeler for life.” The new contract puts him firmly on that path, one that started nearly 5,000 miles away in Hawaii.

Herbig and his older brother Nate — a former NFL offensive lineman — grew up on the island of Kaua'i, moving to Honolulu to play for powerful Saint Louis School. Doing so took significant amount of sacrifice by their parents, one that Nick Herbig has not forgotten.

“My mom and dad worked two jobs,” he said. “They really showed me firsthand what it was like to work hard. They gave me the option, like, 'You don’t have to go. This is on you. If you want to go you can go. If not, stay home and there was no looking back at it. That’s definitely one of the best decisions in my life.”

A decision that eventually led Herbig to Pittsburgh, where there were hugs all around when he signed a contract that made him financially secure for life and will let him prepare for training camp in late July without worrying about his future.

“I believe that I was born to be a Steeler,” he said. “And I know I said that before, and I’ll keep saying it.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL