Steelers DC Teryl Austin Incredibly Hesitant At Moving Rookie OLB Nick Herbig To Inside Linebacker

The Pittsburgh Steelers headed into their Week 13 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals with a roadmap in which gave them a sure chance at their first AFC North title since 2020. Their next four matchups were all against uninspiring teams, three of which having to rely on a backup quarterback to finish out the season. 

It was a prime opportunity for the Steelers to separate themselves from the rest of the Wild Card teams and solidify a playoff spot. Last Sunday was all but that. The Steelers struggled both offensively and defensively and fell to the then 2-10 Cardinals at home, 24-10. 

The Steelers' misfortunes didn't stop at the end of the game either. Multiple starters including second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett left the game due to an ankle injury suffered in the first half on a scramble near the goal line which is likely going to sideline him for multiple weeks. Along with Pickett, starting offensive guard Isaac Seumalo and inside linebacker Elandon Roberts also exited the game early due to injury.

The injury bug to the inside linebacker position is a plague the Steelers simply can't seem to kick so far in the 2023 season. Earlier in the year, the Steelers lost inside linebackers Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander to injuries and have been sidelined for the remainder of the season. Roberts has been one of the team's top run stoppers so far in 2023, so fans are keeping a close eye on the Steelers' injury report throughout the week to see if he will be given the green light for Thursday's matchup with the New England Patriots. 

The Steelers have brought in outside options to help the linebacker room in recent weeks, including veteran Blake Martinez, who has played seven seasons in the NFL, most recently with the Las Vegas Raiders.

With the Steelers incredibly thin at the inside linebacker position, it has been speculated that the team should look to move one of their many talented edge rushers to the inside, most notably rookie pass rusher, Nick Herbig. Steelers Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin put those claims to rest during his Tuesday press conference via a team-provided transcript.  

"I'm not saying Nick Herbig can't, but I'm not sure that's the best thing for Nick Herbig and for us. Does he have the ability and aptitude to do it? Yeah, but we are talking about a guy stepping in and being a signal-caller, and doing a lot of things he hasn't done. I don't know if I'd strap him with that at this point."

With the Steelers turning to Mykal Walker for answers at inside linebacker in Week 13, it is likely they will keep him there to get majority of the snaps alongside a rotation of Martinez, Mark Robinson, and possibly Myles Jack, who came out of retirement and was signed to the practice squad a couple weeks ago. 

Best case scenario moving forward is the Steelers get Roberts healthy in a timely fashion and figure out out who plays along side him the rest of the season. 

Steelers Have Limited Herbig's Snap Count Despite Being Extremely Productive 

One thing we have seen Head Coach Mike Tomlin do so far in 2023 is limit the snap count of the rookies. It took multiple stellar performances for the Steelers' first two picks Broderick Jones and Joey Porter Jr. to finally crack the starting lineup. The same goes for Herbig.

So far over the course of his rookie season, Herbig has posted two sacks, 10 tackles and a forced fumble. He saw his highest snap count (12) since the Steelers' Week 7 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams which makes his numbers this season even more impressive for a fourth-round rookie. Unfortunately for Herbig, he is behind arguably the best pass-rushing duo in the NFL in T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. 

With the 2023 season coming into its final stretch, it is likely we see Herbig's snap count continue to increase, just not at inside linebacker. Staying healthy will be key, especially with all the injuries the defense has suffered throughout the season and mixing in Herbig more and more will keep the starters fresh.