Herbig’s $100M Deal Tests Steelers’ Plan for Watt and Highsmith
Nick Herbig’s four-year, $100 million extension signals the Steelers view him as a core piece and raises questions about the futures of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, who signed large extensions earlier; Watt (three-year, $123 million in 2025, about $41 million per year) and Highsmith (four-year, $68 million, $17 million APY) could all coexist for a year, or the Steelers could trade one to manage cap hits: trading Watt would save about $32 million guaranteed in 2026 and incur cap charges of $10 million in 2026 and $20 million in 2027; trading Highsmith would avoid $14.5 million in 2026 with cap hits of $5.6 million in 2026 and 2027. The Herbig deal could prompt other teams to bid for Watt or Highsmith, given the high demand for pass rushers.
