What wasn’t as much of a slam dunk situation just a few days ago just turned into the first extension the Pittsburgh Steelers handed out to a member of its 2023 draft class this offseason. In the late afternoon on the first day of mandatory minicamp, the Steelers signed EDGE rusher Nick Herbig to a four-year, $100 million deal with $42 million in guarantees that will keep him under contract through the 2029 season. Predicting that Herbig would land a new contract ahead of Joey Porter Jr. or even Darnell Washington just a week ago would've felt a bit outlandish, but it's clear Pittsburgh prioritized hammering out an agreement with its blossoming pass rusher without letting the situation drag on.While a $25 million average annual value might look a bit hefty at first glance, that figure will soon become a steal for the Steelers if it isn't one already.Nov 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig (51) follows the play against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesWhy Pittsburgh May Have Gotten a Bargain In terms of AAV, Herbig's new contract will settle in as the 16th-most expensive among all EDGE rushers in the league right between Nik Bonitto ($26.5 million) and Montez Sweat ($24.5 million).What that means essentially is Herbig is getting mid-end No. 1-level money at the position. It's not often you see a player who has never been a full-time starter land that type of payday, but the upside is enormous for Pittsburgh.According to Pro Football Focus, Herbig's 47 pressures ranked 30th in the league, yet his 353 pass rush snaps were the 42nd-most, showcasing that he was pretty comfortably above-average from an efficiency standpoint.The 24-year-old has become a turnover merchant for Pittsburgh as well, logging nine forced fumbles throughout his career thus far, with seven of them coming over the past two seasons.Furthermore, Herbig finished No. 1 in ESPN Analytics' Edge Pass Rush Win Rate Rankings for the 2025 campaign, coming in at 25 percent.Not only has he put up impressive surface-level stats, but the advanced metrics prove that Herbig is already one of the more underrated and productive EDGE rushers in the league. If he can continue to grow, there's no telling the heights he could reach for the Steelers down the line.Jan 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) scrambles with the ball as Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig (51) cases during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesIs Herbig Already Pittsburgh's Best Pass Rusher?The Steelers had already invested quite a bit into their EDGE rusher group before extending Herbig, as T.J. Watt signed a three-year deal worth $123 million last July while Alex Highsmith inked a four-year, $68 million pact in July 2023.Of the trio, though, it's Herbig that has the most upside and thus should be viewed as the team's top option at the position.Watt took a big step back in 2025, recording the least amount of sacks (7.0) and pressures (46) among the group despite playing the most snaps (811) by a rather healthy margin. He's still a useful and impactful player, but it's hard to argue him being better than either of his counterparts.Highsmith is neck-and-neck with Herbig, as the former posted 9.5 sacks last year while the latter had 7.5. On the flip side, however, Highsmith finished with less pressures than Herbig at 44 and a win rate of 15.3 percent (per PFF) that paled in comparison to Herbig's.Simply put, Herbig had the best 2025 campaign of the position group in Pittsburgh, and the same should be expected in 2026.Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI, and find our podcast All Steelers Talk on YouTube or anywhere you listen!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow