Steelers Sign Nick Herbig to Massive Deal

After the first day of mandatory minicamp, the Pittsburgh Steelers completed a massive extension with one of their rising stars on defense.

As reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Steelers have signed EDGE rusher Nick Herbig to a four-year, $100 million deal that includes $42 million in guarantees.

Edge Nick Herbig and the Pittsburgh Steelers reached agreement today on a four-year, $100 million dollar extension that includes $42 million guaranteed per @MikeGarafolo and me.

The deal was negotiated by Joe DiBenedetto, Andy Simms and Ken Sarnoff of @1OF1FOOTBALL. pic.twitter.com/NHURhHBxbE
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 2, 2026

Herbig, who stopped short of calling his situation a "hold-in" during the first session of minicamp, is now locked in long-term with Pittsburgh.

He is now the third and final member of the Steelers' EDGE rusher trio to secure a massive contract from the organization after T.J. Watt inked a three-year, $123 million pact before training camp last summer while Alex Highsmith is entering the penultimate campaign of a four-year, $68 million deal he agreed to back in July 2023.

Herbig, a fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin in the 2023 NFL Draft, has established himself as one of the league's premier up-and-coming pass rushers while never registering as a full-time starter.

In 2025, the 24-year-old logged 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles while seeing the field for 60 percent of the team's defensive snaps when available.

Herbig is now in place for another half-decade and will continue to be a building block for Pittsburgh.

Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig (51) gestures against the Houston Texans during the first quarter in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Steelers' Expensive EDGE Rusher Room and What It Means Moving Forward

As mentioned above, the Steelers are now paying three EDGE rushers a rather exorbitant amount of money.

Watt is under contract through 2028 and has a guaranteed salary of $32 million for each of the next two seasons while simultaneously carrying a $42 million cap hit.

As for Highsmith, he is carrying a $20.102 million cap hit in 2026, and that will jump ever so slightly to $21.102 million in 2027.

With Herbig's average annual value sitting at just over $20 million, Pittsburgh is investing into its EDGE group more than just about any other organization in the NFL. The Jacksonville Jaguars are the only other team paying three EDGE rushers $14.5 million or more per season.

Herbig isn't going anywhere now, but his new deal makes a Watt or Highsmith trade far more feasible.

The Steelers can certainly afford to keep all three or else they likely wouldn't have extended Herbig, but perhaps they'll look to pick up resources and improve in other areas of their roster by sending away Watt or Highsmith now that Herbig is in it for the long haul.

Highsmith is the more logical trade candidate because he has less years and money remaining than Watt, but he just led the team in sacks with 9.5 during the 2025 campaign and is one of the most talented players on Pittsburgh's roster.

Watt seems to be on the downswing, but he was just an AP Defensive Player of the Year finalist in 2024 and is still an impactful, No. 1-type pass rusher at 31-years-old. Plus, finding a taker for his contract if he were ever made available for trade would be easier said than done.

For now, though, the only thing that matters is that the Steelers signed Herbig to an extension and should have one of the more lethal pass rush units in the league.

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