Steelers OLB Nick Herbig Exits Game with Injury

Pittsburgh Steelers OLB Nick Herbig
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig runs out of the tunnel at Acrisure Stadium before a preseason game against the Houston Texans on Aug. 9, 2024. -- Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

INDIANAPOLIS — Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Nick Herbig suffered an ankle injury early in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts and is questionable to return. Herbig is expected to return in the second half.

Herbig is the second Steeler to exited with an injury. Steelers right guard James Daniels suffered an ankle injury on the offenses’ first possession of the game. Daniels was downgraded to out. Daniels walked off the field slowly under his own power and went into the blue medical tent. He was then carted off the field.

DeMarvin Leal replaces Herbig at right outside linebacker. The Steelers are already thin at the outside linebacker position with Alex Highsmith out with a groin injury.

Highsmith suffered a groin injury late in the second quarter of last Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers and did not return. With Highsmith out, second-year outside linebacker Nick Herbig recorded two sacks, two quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble in the second half. It would be a huge loss if Herbig can’t return, especially with the Steelers facing a 17-0 deficit in the second quarter.

Leal, who’s a hybrid at defensive end/outside linebacker, looks forward to stepping up as the No. 3 OLB with Highsmith out. He’s thrown into the fire as a starter already with Herbig sidelined.

“I came in with a different mentality this year, a different weight, different body,” Leal told 93.7 The Fan. “This is an opportunity now and I just got to take advantage of it.”

Leal dropped a ton of weight this offseason so he’d be better suited at OLB.

“That’s a big thing with him in terms of how he approaches his job and the consistency with which he tries to do his job is a change,” Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. “We kind of expected that when we drafted ‘Marv’. He was a young guy, 21-year-old guy who is coming in and going to have some growing to do. We figured there would be some growing pains along the way.”

Alan Saunders contributed reporting from Indianapolis.

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