The Steelers are coming to a crossroads at edge rusher. T.J. Watt is the greatest pass rusher in franchise history, but is on the wrong side of 30 and coming off his worst season. Nick Herbig, however, is on the rise and due for a contract extension. And, Omar Khan wants to keep both players, as well as Alex Highsmith.
Naturally, the question is ... how? How do you get the most out of an aging star, play Highsmith the snaps he deserves (coming off a very strong 2025 season) and give Herbig a second contract? The answer is simple: Less of Watt, more of Herbig.
Now, before anyone thinks this is some shot at Watt ... it's not. Despite 2025 being a disappointing season, especially after Watt signed a massive three-year, $123 million contract, Watt was still an impactful player. He just didn't do it at the Watt level we've all gotten used to seeing. Watt is still one of the better edge rushers in the game, despite heading into a season in which he'll turn 32 years old.
The best way to potentially get the most out of Watt is simply to play him less. Last season, Watt averaged 57.9 snaps per game, the second-highest rate of his career. The only time he averaged more was when he was 25 years old in 2019 (58.4 snaps per game). Keeping him at a lower snap count would help him age better and keep him more fresh throughout games. And since 2022, Watt's snap count per game has increased each season. That trend likely needs to come to an end.
Perhaps even more important than that, Watt has generally played better when he's played a lower number of snaps per game. In his 2021 season in which he won Defensive Player of the Year, Watt averaged only 50.5 snaps per game, the lowest of his career except for his rookie season (2017) and the season in which he tore his pectoral muscle and was limited to 10 games (2022).
Not only could playing Watt less often be better for him, it also gives Herbig more snaps. Herbig has turned into a player that deserves more of a starting role. He believes that and his agents believes that. That matters a ton in an offseason in which the Steelers and Herbig will be negotiating a contract extension. Herbig's agent, Joe DiBenedetto, made it clear recently on Breiden Fehoko's podcast that they believe in Herbig's potential, but also want to get something done with the Steelers.
"I fully believe if Nick was starting full-time in this league, he’d be one of the top-5 best edge rushers in football," DiBendetto said. "Opportunity is everything, right? He’s learning from Alex and T.J. from Day 1. Without getting into too much of the nuances that is ongoing, Nick wants to be a Pittsburgh Steeler for life, and I hope that we can make that happen."
One way to incentivize Herbig, outside of a significant pay raise, is to put him on the field more often. It could be a win-win situation for all parties.
By no means should anyone view this potential scenario as putting Watt on the bench or make him a distant No. 3 in the pecking order. Watt deserves every chance of getting meaningful snaps because we all know and have seen for years what he's capable of doing. When he's at his best, he's the best at what he does. He just so happens to be at his best by taking on a smaller workload.
THE ASYLUM
Less of Watt could be best for all parties
The Steelers are coming to a crossroads at edge rusher. T.J. Watt is the greatest pass rusher in franchise history, but is on the wrong side of 30 and coming off his worst season. Nick Herbig, however, is on the rise and due for a contract extension. And, Omar Khan wants to keep both players, as well as Alex Highsmith.
Naturally, the question is ... how? How do you get the most out of an aging star, play Highsmith the snaps he deserves (coming off a very strong 2025 season) and give Herbig a second contract? The answer is simple: Less of Watt, more of Herbig.
Now, before anyone thinks this is some shot at Watt ... it's not. Despite 2025 being a disappointing season, especially after Watt signed a massive three-year, $123 million contract, Watt was still an impactful player. He just didn't do it at the Watt level we've all gotten used to seeing. Watt is still one of the better edge rushers in the game, despite heading into a season in which he'll turn 32 years old.
The best way to potentially get the most out of Watt is simply to play him less. Last season, Watt averaged 57.9 snaps per game, the second-highest rate of his career. The only time he averaged more was when he was 25 years old in 2019 (58.4 snaps per game). Keeping him at a lower snap count would help him age better and keep him more fresh throughout games. And since 2022, Watt's snap count per game has increased each season. That trend likely needs to come to an end.
Perhaps even more important than that, Watt has generally played better when he's played a lower number of snaps per game. In his 2021 season in which he won Defensive Player of the Year, Watt averaged only 50.5 snaps per game, the lowest of his career except for his rookie season (2017) and the season in which he tore his pectoral muscle and was limited to 10 games (2022).
Not only could playing Watt less often be better for him, it also gives Herbig more snaps. Herbig has turned into a player that deserves more of a starting role. He believes that and his agents believes that. That matters a ton in an offseason in which the Steelers and Herbig will be negotiating a contract extension. Herbig's agent, Joe DiBenedetto, made it clear recently on Breiden Fehoko's podcast that they believe in Herbig's potential, but also want to get something done with the Steelers.
"I fully believe if Nick was starting full-time in this league, he’d be one of the top-5 best edge rushers in football," DiBendetto said. "Opportunity is everything, right? He’s learning from Alex and T.J. from Day 1. Without getting into too much of the nuances that is ongoing, Nick wants to be a Pittsburgh Steeler for life, and I hope that we can make that happen."
One way to incentivize Herbig, outside of a significant pay raise, is to put him on the field more often. It could be a win-win situation for all parties.
By no means should anyone view this potential scenario as putting Watt on the bench or make him a distant No. 3 in the pecking order. Watt deserves every chance of getting meaningful snaps because we all know and have seen for years what he's capable of doing. When he's at his best, he's the best at what he does. He just so happens to be at his best by taking on a smaller workload.
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