Nick Herbig signed a four-year, $100 million contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers, then made it clear he doesn’t see a split between starters and backups—just a job to help wherever the team needs him. With Aaron Rodgers back at quarterback and T.J.
Pittsburgh’s offseason has already carried a familiar kind of pressure—one that shows up not just in playbooks, but in what players promise after they commit their future to a franchise.
On Tuesday. the Steelers signed linebacker Nick Herbig to a four-year. $100 million contract extension. a move that keeps another defensive centerpiece in place as the organization reshapes itself around a new head coach. Mike McCarthy has been brought in to replace Mike Tomlin. and the Steelers have also made a major trade for Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. adding him to the mix alongside DK Metcalf. Through all of that change. the roster is still filled with recognizable faces—Aaron Rodgers is back at quarterback. and T.J. Watt is back on the defensive line.
Herbig’s extension was the kind of decision that’s supposed to steady things, and when he was asked about his role for the upcoming season, he answered in a way that sounded more like a pledge than a position chart.
“I wouldn’t call myself not a starter,” Herbig said on Tuesday, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “I’m a team guy. If you need me to play off the ball, on the ball, need me to run down on punt, I’m a Steeler. There’s no starters and backups. I’m a Steeler.”
That versatility is exactly what the Steelers have leaned on. Herbig can play on the ball and on the edge when Watt or Alex Highsmith needs a rest. Over three seasons. he has recorded 16 sacks and 23 tackles for loss. and his trajectory has kept trending upward for a defense that needs production from more than one pass-rusher.
Last season was a career-year for him, with 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss in just 15 games. With a bigger role in 2026 described as feasible, Herbig’s name keeps coming up in the same breath as the AFC’s next wave of young pass rushers.
Pittsburgh is moving into the Mike McCarthy era with the kind of continuity that matters when expectations rise. And while Herbig’s contract locks in one defensive force, there’s another familiar thread running through the secondary. Next up for an extension in Pittsburgh is likely cornerback Joey Porter Jr. who immediately stepped into the role as the Steelers’ best cornerback after being selected in the first round in 2023.
If the Steelers sign Porter Jr. to a big contract extension, the organization would be closing in on a defense built on franchise cornerstones—Herbig included—while the rest of the team settles into McCarthy’s new order.
Nick Herbig Pittsburgh Steelers Mike McCarthy Mike Tomlin Aaron Rodgers T.J. Watt Alex Highsmith Michael Pittman Jr. DK Metcalf Joey Porter Jr. contract extension sacks tackles for loss