Steelers OLBs Coach Praises Nick Herbig’s Development
PITTSBURGH — Nick Herbig will still serve as the No. 3 outside linebacker behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith this season, but the Pittsburgh Steelers expect the Wisconsin product to take a big leap in his second year.
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin believes that Herbig is up to the task.
“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.
Outside linebackers coach Denzel Martin also praised Herbig for getting his body right and being in phenomenal shape. Herbig has been training with Brad Arnett in Wisconsin this offseason. T.J. Watt also trains with Arnett when he’s back in his home state.
“He’s got a good training regimen with the guys back in Wisconsin. Brad Arnett, they do a great job with him out there,” Martin said of Herbig. “There’s no questions. They have a nice plan set up for him every year that he goes out there, but they’re fine-tuning it and getting better at what he’s doing every summer. And it’s just, you see it in his body. He’s playing fresher. He looks better. I like it.”
Martin has seen growth in Herbig’s football IQ, as well.
“You see it in his maturity, man. He’s just so much more mature,” Martin said. “He just knows what’s coming, you know what I mean? He knows what to expect almost at this point. The plays don’t change. He just gets more fine-tuned with what he does, and you can see it out on the field.”
Herbig had an impressive rookie campaign, recording 27 total tackles (19 solos), three sacks, five tackles for losses, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Entering his second season, Herbig should be even better.The Steelers at least know they have a reliable No. 3 OLB option if Watt or Highsmith get hurt, which is something they lacked in previous years.
Nick Farabaugh contributed reporting from Pittsburgh.
Read This Next
