The Pittsburgh Steelers opened up their 2023 season with a heartbreaking loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and the game was never really close. This also happened to be the first game in the career of edge rusher Nick Herbig, who saw his first professional play come on the opening kickoff. Pittsburgh often has their rookies work their way towards more playing time, and that starts with special teams. This is when Herbig had his first "Welcome to the NFL Moment" and he paid the price as soon as he got back to the sidelines.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers outside linebacker Nick Herbig sacks Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith during a Week 17 game in the 2023 season.
Herbig mainly only played special teams at the start of his rookie season in 2023, but eventually wound up earning more and more playing time on defense. He is expected to take a big leap in his second season and has been showing out in the preseason. He recently appeared on the Steel Here podcast, where he was asked about his "Welcome to the NFL Moment." He shared that this moment came on the opening kickoff of his first career game in 2023.
"The first one was my first play, it was the opening kick off and we're receiving. The old kickoff, you know what I mean, so I have my guy, I'm looking at him, I look back and they kick the ball. I'm running to my spot and I'm supposed to set up on like the 30-yard line I think. I get there and I turn around and he's like five yards past me and I'm looking at him run right past me. He smacks our returner and Danny Smith is just going off on me. I'm like, 'Okay, this is different.'"
Danny Smith is Pittsburgh's long-time special teams coordinator. He is a football guy through and through, and is often referred to as a pretty intense individual. On the NFL's previous kick return rules, Herbig would have been responsible for meeting a specific defender at a certain point on the field. He said it was the speed of the game that surprised him, and it's why the defender he was responsible for was able to run right past him and blow up the returner.
Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher Nick Herbig gets a sack against the Cincinnati Bengals in his 2023 rookie season.
This started the Steelers' horrendous afternoon, as they would end up losing the game to the 49ers by a score of 30-7. Special teams are a big priority for depth players on an NFL roster, which is exactly what Herbig was at that point. He was behind TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Markus Golden on defense at the time, and he needed to find a way to prove he deserved to be on the field more. This didn't start out well for him, as Smith was quick to chew him out as soon as he stepped off the field.
Herbig would only get on the field for 16 plays on defense during that game, and 20 plays on special teams. Despite a limited workload throughout his first year, he managed to make an impact. He recorded three sacks in his rookie campaign, including one strip sack against the Seattle Seahawks which ultimately helped Pittsburgh get into the postseason.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Nick Herbig sacks Hendon Hooker during the preseason finale in 2024.
Steelers' Nick Herbig Is A Budding Star
Herbig has already shown a ton of improvement from his rookie year. He has had an impressive performance during training camp, while making his presence known during Pittsburgh's preseason games. He recorded two sacks during the Steelers' preseason finale against the Detroit Lions, and is bound to break out in his sophomore campaign.
The second-year defender will be on the field a lot more in 2024, as Golden is no longer on Pittsburgh's roster. He signed briefly with Pittsburgh during training camp, but retired nearly immediately. Herbig is now the primary backup to both Highsmith and Watt, which should lead to more production.
What do you think of Herbig's "Welcome to the NFL Moment?" Let us know in the comments below!
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