Are the Steelers Using Nick Herbig Properly?

Dec 8, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig (51) takes the field against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Are the Steelers Using Nick Herbig Properly?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jobe Morrison | Last updated Oct 7, 2026 2:00 PM ET

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The Pittsburgh Steelers made several significant in-house investments that helped lay the foundation for the future of their roster. Two of those investments came on the defensive side of the ball. While Keeanu Benton and Nick Herbig have made an impact, the Steelers still need more from both players.

However, one former Steelers quarterback believes part of the reason we aren’t seeing Herbig’s usual disruptive force is that the Steelers are playing him out of position. When we look at his snap counts and assignment logs, that assessment holds some weight.

Charlie Batch discussed Herbig’s usage on his Snap Count podcast, pointing to the Steelers using him more out of position. Instead of primarily deploying him as an edge rusher, Pittsburgh has put him on the field in more of an off-ball linebacker role. It’s a good thing the Steelers are finding ways to get their playmakers on the field, but they also need to keep those players in positions where they can be most productive.

“The rotations are happening when the coaches choose to bring that particular rotation in. So, I think that’s the frustration that is brewing … Nick Herbig… they’re playing him out of position. This is not why you signed him to the big deal in the offseason. He rushes the quarterback, but now you have him off the ball in coverage,” Batch said.

Herbig Needs to Be Deployed as a Pass Rusher

Through four weeks, Herbig has logged 124 defensive snaps. Of those, 40 have been pass-rushing assignments, while 20 have been dropbacks into coverage. That’s a fairly close split for an EDGE rusher the Steelers paid big money to pressure the quarterback.

Herbig’s current snap distribution has him rushing the passer on 32.25% of his defensive snaps and dropping into coverage on 16.13%. The remaining snaps have come against the run.

Compare that to his highly productive 2025 season. Herbig’s pass-rushing snaps accounted for 56.6% of his defensive snaps, while he dropped into coverage on just 8.5% of his snaps.

Those are significant differences.

The Steelers have a deep EDGE rotation and want to get as many of those players on the field as possible. However, are they going about it the right way? Herbig has made plays this season, but he could be wreaking even more havoc if the Steelers allowed him to rush the passer more frequently.

Is Patrick Graham Trying to Reinvent the Wheel?

Patrick Graham has done some good things with this defense, but the unit has also produced some subpar stretches over the past two weeks. As Batch pointed out, Watson had too much time to throw in Week 4.

Is Graham trying to create wrinkles that will benefit the defense later in the season? Or is he challenging Herbig to become a more versatile player?

It’s not clear what the plan is, but the execution hasn’t always been clean.

Herbig is a strong pass rusher who could benefit immensely from Graham’s blitz packages. Graham doesn’t use those packages frequently as a fastball, but rather as a well-strategized changeup.

Perhaps getting Herbig back on the EDGE more frequently would allow the Steelers to get more production out of their significant offseason investment.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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