Steelers at Jets inactives: Rookie pass rusher will be thrust into action with Nick Herbig out of Week 1

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Rob Gregson | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 12:07 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers nearly went into Week 1 at full capacity on the health front. Derrick Harmon was slated to miss the game from the start, but Nick Herbig practiced all week in a limited capacity, and the Steelers were optimistic he would play.

Sunday morning's inactives prove otherwise, however, and now it's up to rookie Jack Sawyer to serve as the team's top backup pass rusher. The rookie pass rusher was a fourth-round pick after winning a championship with the Ohio State Buckeyes, and he didn't have the best preseason, but the Steelers will need that to change against the New York Jets.

Steelers Week 1 inactives vs. Jets

QB Skylar Thompson (3rd QB)
OLB Nick Herbig
G Max Scharping
G Andrus Peat
DT Esezi Otomewo
DT Derrick Harmon

Thompson was a late addition to the injury report this week, but if he even got close to the field it would be problematic for the Steelers. The trench players being inactive simply come down to who earns a helmet, and then of course, Herbig and Harmon are out with injury. As for everyone else, they are all rearing to go:

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“Derrick Harmon is the only guy at this juncture that I would characterize as out,” said Coach Tomlin earlier in the week. “I would characterize [Nick] Herbig as questionable. He had a really good day yesterday, so we’ll leave the door ajar for him and see where work leads us during the course of the week. Certainly, his participation and the quality of his participation will be the key variable in terms of our decision making, whether or not we choose to use him or not. Other than those two instances, man, we’re largely a healthy group. . .

“. . .Certainly, had some bumps and bruises associated with preseason work and some people have been nonparticipants in games, some due to injury and some due to precaution. Some of those guys have been working their way back. Alex Highsmith for example and others. We don’t anticipate any of those guys’ availability being in any way questionable. You can include Calvin Austin for example in that discussion. So, we have a relatively healthy group. Excited about that.”

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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