Getty

NFL executives believe T.J. Watt could become a trade candidate for the Steelers, while Nick Herbig could get paid

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the only teams that still have a lot of work to do this offseason. While the Steelers have been busy for the past few months, the team still needs to figure out whether or not Aaron Rodgers is going to be returning for the 2026 campaign. Once they do that, this team will largely be ready for the new season.

Right now, all the attention is on the offensive side of the ball for the Steelers, but they also have one of the most dangerous-looking defenses in the league. That is led largely by a strong pass rush, which is led by guys like T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig. Both guys are firmly a part of Pittsburgh’s plans for the time being, but executives across the league recently offered a pair of big predictions for this duo.

Steelers’ T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig Draw Eye-Opening Predictions

For the past few years, the Steelers have known that they have one of the top pass rush duos in the league in Watt and Alex Highsmith. In 2025, though, Herbig threw his name into the fray, as he racked up 7.5 sacks in 15 games of action, despite not getting nearly as many snaps as both Watt and Highsmith.

A fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Herbig timed his breakout season well because he’s heading into the final year of his rookie contract. Pittsburgh now has to decide whether or not it wants to let Herbig play out the last season of his deal, because if he hits the open market next offseason, there’s an expectation across the league that he could earn a serious pay raise.

The Steelers could obviously keep Herbig, but doing so would put the team in a tough spot, as it would have a large sum of money committed to Watt, Highsmith, and Herbig. With that in mind, several executives have reportedly told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN that they wouldn’t be surprised if Pittsburgh considered trading Watt in order to make room for Herbig’s big-money deal.

“If Herbig makes it to free agency, he’ll be a player who’s not a household name but could be paid as one,” Fowler wrote. “If the Steelers end up signing Herbig long term, having three large contracts allocated to one position is a tough proposition. Watt, for all his greatness, turns 32 in October and has guaranteed salaries of $32 million in both 2026 and 2027. Watt is a legacy player … But some teams could see Pittsburgh at least considering moving on from him.”

Should the Steelers Trade T.J. Watt in Order to Extend Nick Herbig?

GettyNFL executives believe T.J. Watt could become a trade candidate for the Steelers, while Nick Herbig could get paid

Herbig and Watt’s futures aren’t directly tied to each other, but it’s clear that the Steelers have a pair of big decisions to make here. If the team lets Herbig leave next offseason, then it obviously isn’t going to trade Watt. But if they want to keep Herbig, moving off of Watt’s expensive contract could provide the front office with a reasonable path forward.

Pittsburgh still has time to figure out its plan in this department, but if it truly wants Herbig to stay in town, it would take care of his contract situation before the start of the 2026 campaign. Because if Herbig strings together another strong season for the Steelers and then hits the open market, the front office may suddenly find this big decision being made for them.