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Second-year Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Nick Herbig got some some pointers from Steelers legend James Harrison after Wednesday’s practice. Harrison was showing him his vintage dip-rip move. It’s advice that Herbig doesn’t take for granted.
“I’ll talk to anybody,” Herbig told Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. “I’ll try to get information from anybody.”
Learning from the best
pic.twitter.com/n41nqXhq7v
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) July 31, 2024
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.
More must-reads:
- Commanders' Jayden Daniels expands on prediction for Terry McLaurin contract standoff
- Commanders' Terry McLaurin reportedly wants more money than previously thought
- The 'NFL QBs with the most games started' quiz
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Bill Belichick takes another shot at Patriots owner Robert Kraft
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Commanders' Terry McLaurin reportedly wants more money than previously thought
Previous reports indicated that unsettled Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin was looking to land "parts" of the five-year, $150M contract that the Pittsburgh Steelers gave DK Metcalf earlier this year. For an article published on Wednesday morning, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic offered an update regarding why McLaurin and the Commanders haven't come to terms on an extension after the 29-year-old requested a trade on July 31. "One person with knowledge of McLaurin’s contract negotiations said the veteran receiver has asked for more than DK Metcalf," Jhabvala revealed. McLaurin is in the final year of his current deal and will turn 30 years old in September. To compare, Metcalf will turn 28 in December. That said, McLaurin emerged last season as the favorite target for quarterback Jayden Daniels as Daniels guided the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game. "McLaurin believes he’s one of the best receivers in the NFL," Jhabvala added. "He’s been the Commanders' leading receiver every season since he entered the league (in 2019), and last year had the second-most receiving TDs in the league behind Ja’Marr Chase’s 17. He also ranked third in (expected points added) on targets and seventh in catch rate among receivers with at least 100 targets last year, but among that same group, McLaurin’s total receiving yards (1,096) ranked 12th and his average yards after the catch ranked 25th." Daniels seemed optimistic while speaking about the ongoing contract standoff during the ESPN broadcast of Monday's preseason game between the Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals when he said he knew McLaurin would "be coming through the door soon." However, Jhabvala noted that "it wouldn’t be a surprise if the [Commanders have] set a maximum range of $27M to $28M a year in average annual value for McLaurin." That seems to suggest the two sides aren't all that close to coming to terms on an agreement. It's unclear if McLaurin is willing to forfeit money by sitting out Washington's Week 1 game against the New York Giants on Sept. 7 amid his desire for a pay raise. If he isn't, he may have to soon accept the offer that's on the table to guarantee himself future earnings beyond the upcoming season.
'Look out for this dude': Former NFL exec has warning about unexpected SEC quarterback
Yankees' continued defensive meltdowns hurt them again against Red Sox
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Former Alabama QB has bold prediction for Kalen DeBoer, Ty Simpson
Greg McElroy may have a slight bias towards the Alabama Crimson Tide. He did play there, after all, and he helped the Tide with the 2010 BCS title game. So yes, the former Alabama quarterback turned ESPN commentator might be partial to the Crimson Tide, but he did make some good points recently when giving a prediction for the 2025 SEC Championship game on the "Always College Football" Podcast. McElroy predicts that in head coach Kalen DeBoer's second season, the Tide will make the SEC Championship game. He sees them facing off with Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns, though he does see Texas winning that game. “I just think with some of the youth that Texas has, particularly at quarterback, particular at wide receiver and some of the guys that will be rolling in on defense, they’re a little bit deeper and have a slightly higher ceiling than Alabama at this point," McElroy said (h/t On3). Losing the SEC Championship game would be disappointing in Tuscaloosa, but it is a step up from last season when DeBoer went 9-4 with an embarrassing 19-13 loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Alabama being in the SEC title game would certainly mean that the Tide would be in the College Football Playoff conversation, and that's really the minimum standard in Tuscaloosa after Nick Saban brought six national championships home. For what it's worth, McElroy does think DeBoer has the pieces to be a contender this season, though, and it starts with newly named starting quarterback Ty Simpson. "I think Ty Simpson, their new starting quarterback, is a great fit for what Kalen DeBoer wants them to to be," McElroy explained. "He’s going to be a distributor, he’s going to get the ball out of his hands quickly, he’s going to make great decisions, he’s not going to put the defense in harm’s way by turning it over. I think Alabama is poised to make a run this year in a lot of different areas" A run to the SEC title game and CFP would be a huge step up for DeBoer in Year 2. Alabama fans will certainly be hoping that McElroy's bold prediction will come true.
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