The Pittsburgh Steelers handed edge rusher Nick Herbig a four-year, $100 million extension Tuesday, with $42 million guaranteed—a contract that makes him the first non-quarterback in league history to secure a nine-figure deal having never started a full NFL season.
Across three seasons, Herbig appeared in 45 games but started only 11. His single-season high is six starts. Yet he's now the third-highest-paid player on his own defensive line.
The numbers are doing most of the announcement work here, which is usually how teams prefer it.
A depth chart that's suddenly expensive
T.J. Watt sits atop the edge-rushing hierarchy earning $32 million fully guaranteed this season. Below him, Alex Highsmith faces a different reality: his $14.5 million salary for 2026 is non-guaranteed, with only two years remaining on his deal. The math favors keeping Watt long-term and Herbig for five years, leaving Highsheet as the odd man out in a group where only two starting spots exist.
Herbig, for his part, has repeatedly said he wants to be a Steeler for life. Whether the team returns that sentiment may depend on what happens next winter.
The producing backup
If the contract seems generous for a part-time player, the tape tells a different story. Herbig's sack totals climbed in each of the past two seasons, and in 2025 he posted career highs: 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and 18 quarterback hits—more than double his previous tackle-for-loss count. He's not waiting for a promotion to produce.
That's the quiet logic underneath a noisy number: Pittsburgh isn't paying for starting experience. They're paying for someone who's already earned every snap.