In T.J. Watt's absence, Nick Herbig trying to make most of 1st-team work with Steelers

Nick Herbig understood the rationale behind fellow outside linebacker T.J. Watt skipping the Pittsburgh Steelers mandatory minicamp last week.

“It’s a business at the end of the day,” Herbig said after a workout at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “Everybody knows that. It’s very crazy business.”

One in which Watt is trying to get a new contract from an organization that gave him a four-year, $112 million contract in 2021 that, at the time, made him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.

Four years later, Watt no longer holds that designation, and the bar appears to be set at the $40 million average annual value that Cleveland edge rusher Myles Garrett received in the offseason.

Watt held out of minicamp, and it remains to be seen whether he will be at training camp if he and the Steelers don’t negotiate a new deal by the July 23 reporting date. As much as Herbig wants Watt back on the practice field, he will continue to take advantage of the snaps he gets alongside starter Alex Highsmith until that happens.

“I’d love for T.J. to be here,” Herbig said. “That’s my guy, but any time I get a chance to run with the ‘ones,’ that’s an awesome feeling.”

A backup to Watt and Highsmith the past two seasons, Herbig moved into a starting role — at least temporarily — during the spring workouts.

“I feel like I prepare every day like that,” Herbig said. “I prepare to be a starter because you never know when your number is going to be called. In this league, you don’t want to miss your shot, miss your opportunity, so you have to stay ready.”

Herbig’s role increased in his second season with the Steelers, going from the fourth outside linebacker on the roster to the top backup to Watt and Highsmith. As a rookie, he played 17% of the defensive snaps, as veteran Markus Golden got a slightly heavier workload as the No. 1 backup option.

Golden’s abrupt retirement during the 2024 training camp — shortly after the Steelers had re-signed him — elevated Herbig into a bigger role at outside linebacker. He started five games when Highsmith was injured and logged 50% of the snaps for the season.

Herbig, a fourth-round draft pick from Wisconsin, set individual highs with 5.5 sacks, 11 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

“He’s ready for whatever you give him,” outside linebackers coach Denzel Martin said last week. “We obviously want to get him on the field as much as we can. We’ve got two really good guys in front of him. He’s a good changeup from the other guys we have. The more we can get him out there, the better.”

Until the pads come out in training camp, coach Mike Tomlin likes to take a longer look at his younger players in offseason workouts, so Watt might have taken limited reps had he reported to minicamp. Regardless, his absence has given defensive coordinator Teryl Austin a chance to gauge how far Herbig has progressed since the end of the 2024 season.

“This allows younger guys to get more reps against the good guys, so to speak, the first teams,” Austin said. “It helps everybody because now you have the opportunity to be an everydown guy, not just a substitute on third down. You get first- and second-down reps, you get involved in situational things, and it should help you grow as a player.”

Although Herbig is still just 23 years old, he is no longer the least experienced player in his meeting room. The Steelers used their fourth-round pick this spring on Ohio State pass rusher Jack Sawyer, who also is 23.

“I wouldn’t call myself a vet,” Herbig said, laughing. “Being in the league longer, it’s a full circle moment. I felt like I was a rookie yesterday, and I’m in Year 3 and the rookies are asking me questions.”

And with two years of experience, Herbig has a better understanding of the position he plays — as well as the financial advantages being an NFL player provides. His paycheck just happens to have a few less zeroes than the one Watt is trying to negotiate.

“I’m only on my rookie contract,” he said when pressed about Watt’s holdout. “I don’t want to speak on something I’m not familiar with.”