Steelers Rookie Puts NFL on Notice: ‘I’m Supposed to be Here’

Getty Pittsburgh Steelers rookie linebacker Nick Herbig fired a powerful message after performing well in his NFL preseason debut.

So many players shined for the Pittsburgh Steelers during Week 1 of the preseason that it’s difficult to pick just one standout. But rookie linebacker Nick Herbig had one of the best showings against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Herbig then put the NFL on further notice with what he told reporters after the game.

“I feel like I was born to be a Steeler,” Herbig said. “I’m supposed to be here. I’m supposed to be wearing that black and yellow, black and gold, sorry.

“I feel the black and gold running through my veins right now. It just feels like exactly what God wanted for me.”

Herbig got to the quarterback twice and led the Steelers with 1.5 sacks against the Buccaneers. He also had a tackle for loss in the 27-17 Pittsburgh victory.

Rookie LB Nick Herbig Says He Was ‘Born to be a Steeler’

Herbig’s preseason debut left Steelers insiders impressed. Steelers Now’s Nick Farabaugh commended Herbig for not only his 2 sacks but for pressuring the quarterback multiple other times.

“Herbig came on in the second half and terrorized the Buccaneers’ offensive line,” Farabaugh wrote. “Herbig has elite burst, so if the bag is as deep as it looks, it is hard to not expect him to get some real playing time this season given what he is showing.”

SI.com’s All Steelers’ Noah Strackbein was just as impressed with Herbig’s declaration after the game as he was with his play.

“If that doesn’t get you fired up, you’re missing out,” Strackbein wrote, referring to the linebacker’s ‘born to be a Steeler’ comment. “Herbig has all the makings of a dominant Steelers linebacker, is learning from two greats in T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, and is already feeling the black and gold in his veins.”

The Steelers drafted Herbig in the fourth round of the draft this past spring. The team’s second-round picks, cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and defensive tackle Keeanu Benton, were expected to be the most impactful defensive players for Pittsburgh from the class.

But the way Herbig has performed the entire offseason and in his preseason debut, expectations for the Wisconsin product are quickly rising.

Steelers Pass Rushing Depth Heading Into 2023

Standing at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, Herbig’s lack of size concerned NFL draft evaluators. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein suggested in his analysis of Herbig that he could move to inside linebacker.

Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora shared in the concern over Herbig’s size. Kozora tweeted that he was surprised to hear Pittsburgh outside linebackers coach Denzel Martin tell the media days after the draft that Herbig would begin his career as an outside linebacker.

It’s important not to overreact to one half of a preseason game. But Herbig doesn’t just fit with the Steelers organization, he’s proving to belong at outside linebacker at the NFL level.

If that continues to be the case, the Steelers will possess tremendous depth at edge rusher this season.

Obviously, linebackers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are the team’s bookend rushers on the outside. The Steelers agreed to a contract extension with Highsmith in July.

Pittsburgh also signed veteran Markus Golden this offseason. Golden had 11 sacks with the Arizona Cardinals just two years ago.

Should Herbig continue to progress in his first preseason, he could offer the Steelers even more depth behind Watt, Highsmith and Golden. Then throw in defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, and Pittsburgh could feature one of the top pass rushes in the NFL this season.