Nick Herbig Shines in Return, Helping Steelers Edge Ravens with Key Plays

It didn’t matter that it was Nick Herbig’s first game in five weeks or just his third NFL start. The Steelers’ second-year outside linebacker wasted no time making his mark in Sunday’s 18-16 win over the Baltimore Ravens.

Herbig kicked things off with a game-changing strip of Derrick Henry, forcing the NFL’s leading rusher into an uncharacteristic mistake: a lost fumble. But the young linebacker saved his biggest impact for last, delivering a crucial edge rush to disrupt Baltimore’s two-point conversion attempt, sealing Pittsburgh’s AFC North victory at Acrisure Stadium.

No surprise, then, that head coach Mike Tomlin referred to Herbig as a “big-time player.”

“He’s a young guy, but even in a small sample size, his playmaking ability is evident,” Tomlin said Monday. “He’s trained under the lights of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith—great role models—and he brings a tremendous work ethic and mindset. None of us are surprised when he delivers in big moments.”

After missing four games with a hamstring injury, Herbig stepped up in place of the injured Alex Highsmith (ankle) and didn’t miss a beat. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound linebacker, a fourth-round pick from Wisconsin in 2023, contributed two tackles, five pressures (a team-high, per NextGen Stats), and the forced fumble on Henry.

“I feel like I’m playing backyard football with my brothers when we’re out there,” Herbig said Monday. “It’s a family atmosphere. We feed off each other’s energy and always have each other’s backs.”

Herbig attributed his success to the Steelers’ focus on takeaways but needed a nudge to acknowledge the magnitude of forcing Henry to fumble—a rare feat. Henry hadn’t lost a fumble in his previous 538 touches.

“Derrick Henry is Derrick Henry,” Herbig said, grinning. “He’s a Hall of Famer, one of the best to ever do it. Making a play like that against him for my team is awesome.”

Herbig’s forced fumble came just 49 seconds into the game, as he ripped the ball from Henry on the running back’s second carry. Safety DeShon Elliott recovered the fumble at Baltimore’s 42-yard line, setting up Chris Boswell’s first of six field goals.

The Steelers held Henry to 65 rushing yards and one touchdown on 13 carries, with nearly half his total coming on a 31-yard burst in the second quarter. The defense also limited Lamar Jackson’s big-play potential, allowing Herbig to stay heavily involved. He played 50 defensive snaps (82%) compared to veteran Preston Smith’s 17 snaps (28%).

Herbig delivered another game-defining moment late in the fourth quarter. With 1:06 remaining, Baltimore went for a two-point conversion to tie the game. Lining up on the left edge, Herbig blew past wide receiver Nelson Agholor and two pulling linemen to pressure Jackson in the backfield. Though Jackson escaped briefly, cornerback Joey Porter Jr. forced him toward the sideline, resulting in an incomplete pass.

The play capped Herbig’s standout performance, bookending his forced fumble with a crucial stop that helped seal the win over their division rivals.

Still, Herbig was quick to deflect praise. “I don’t really think about it like that,” he said. “We got the win. I just wanted to contribute in any way I could. That’s all that matters.”

Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering Pittsburgh sports. Reach him at kgorman@triblive.com.