Steelers Get Rising Star Back for Browns Game

While the Pittsburgh Steelers' secondary has been hit pretty hard by injuries leading into the team's Week 17 game against the Cleveland Browns, a key piece elsewhere on the unit is set to make his return.

Outside linebacker Nick Herbig (hamstring), who opened the week as a limited participant in practice, was upgraded to full on the final injury report and thus did not receive a game designation as a result.

After sustaining his injury vs. the Miami Dolphins in Week 15 and not playing last week against the Detroit Lions, Herbig should log a healthy amount of snaps in Cleveland with T.J. Watt sidelined for a third-straight week after undergoing surgery to repair a partially collapsed lung.

Nov 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig (51) takes the field against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Herbig's Injury History

Herbig suffered a hamstring injury in Pittsburgh's preseason contest vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 16 that ultimately kept him out of the team's Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, but he made his way back in Week 2.

During the 2024 season, the 24-year-old also hurt his hamstring in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys and went on to be sidelined for four-straight contests.

For as much as Herbig as constantly been dealing with ailments over the past two years, he truly is a difference-maker when he's out there on the field.

How Pittsburgh's Pass Rush Lines Up vs. Cleveland

Pittsburgh was forced to go to battle without Herbig or Watt in Detroit, and while the duo of Alex Highsmith and Jack Sawyer more than did their job, the latter in particular will likely see a decrease in his playing time.

Sawyer, who logged a career-high 66 defensive reps and four pressures against the Lions, according to Pro Football Focus, had 28 on that side of the ball vs. Miami in the first contest Watt missed with his lung situation.

Herbig was on the field for 27 defensive reps vs. Detroit, and it's likely safe to say that his workload this time around will remain in that same ballpark.

Highsmith, meanwhile, was a constant thorn in the side of Lions quarterback Jared Goff with six pressures, tying a single-game high for him on the season, to go with six pressures.

Having three of their top four pass rushers and the majority of their rotation off the edge is huge news for the Steelers, who should now feel pretty confident about its defense's chances of shutting down the Browns.

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