Nick Herbig Gets Wisdom From Steelers Legend James Harrison

All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt was happy to see Herbig picking Harrison’s brain. Watt was teammates with Harrison for one season and was very beneficial to his career. It was Harrison who suggested to the Steelers that Watt should play on the left side instead of the right. He said Watt had a move on the left side that he couldn’t do on the right.

“Honestly, he’s a great asset for any of us,” Watt said. “(He has) a move that’s very difficult to learn. But he’s been able to get so many sacks off of that one move has. He has a couple counters as well.

“For a young guy to be able to learn from James Harrison, a guy that’s a Hall of Famer, why wouldn’t you try to soak up as much information as possible from him. It’s so cool he is willing to spend the time teaching.”

After Wednesday’s practice, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about the trajectory of Nick Herbig.

“Herbig is an example of our expectations for year two guys,” Tomlin said. “He showed some flashes a year ago… we’re just getting him to develop all components of his game and being varsity in all areas. He’s definitely capable of that and focused on that.”

Herbig recorded 27 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles in 17 games played as a rookie.

Herbig will still serve as the Steelers’ No. 3 outside linebacker in 2024, but defensive coordinator Teryl Austin expects him to take a leap in Year 2.

“Yes. And it’s not so much in the rush and how he’s rushing but I think it’s his approach to the game and what he knows. You know, it’s always a little different. You get used to NFL football first year, second year, you get a jump because now you kind of understand the game. And that’s what I see with him. He understands what’s going on around and it’s not just hey, what’s my position. He can understand and he has a good feel for the game. And so, I’m excited about Nick and I think, you know, when you look at what he did last year, and the limited amount of reps he played, his impact was pretty good. And so, if he’s playing more this year, it wouldn’t surprise me and I wouldn’t be like, oh, we got to get the other guys back in. I would be trustful of what he’s going to do in the game,” Austin said at minicamp.

Alan Saunders contributed reporting from Unity Twp.