Steelers' Teryl Austin Gives Clear Explanation On Why Nick Herbig & Markus Golden Only Saw 7 Snaps In Week 10

The inarguable strength of the Pittsburgh Steelers is the duo on the edge of the defense. It should be the strength too, as the team has over $40 million per year invested in TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith. As a defense, 27 sacks to this point ranks tied-for-11th in the NFL. Cam Heyward's six-game absence hurts that number, as the defensive line hasn't picked up many sacks for the Steelers. In fact, Heyward is still searching for his first sack of the season, albeit he's played just 95 snaps.

Watt has returned to his 2021 self, as his 10.5 sacks is third in the NFL, just 0.5 behind Danielle Hunter and Myles Garrett. Recently, Watt and Highsmith have begun to see a higher rate of snap counts. In Week 10, the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year played a season-high 97.1% of the defensive snaps. On Thursday, via Nick Farabaugh, Steelers Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin gave a clear explanation as to why they've seen an uptick in playing time lately.

"The deal is this, if T.J. and Alex can go and want to go, they're on the field. That's the end of the story. If T.J. and Alex can go and [are] playing at a high level, I'm not pulling them off the field."

Similar to Watt, Highsmith also saw a season-high in snap rate, as he played 92.6% of the defense's snaps in Week 10. Of course, with their uptick, it means less time for the backups: Nick Herbig and Markus Golden. It's not at all a vote of distrust to those two, but rather the coaching staff simply wanting to rely on their studs. Knock on wood, Highsmith and Watt have stayed healthy (for the most part) in 2023 thus far.

Watt has picked up a few injuries, but he's been able to start every game still in 2023. The team hasn't had to use Golden in the starting lineup yet, which isn't a bad thing. Still, the veteran has been worth the signing, as he's got three sacks, four quarterback hits, and three tackles for loss in 135 defensive snaps this season. On top of the solid on-field performance, he's provided a solid veteran presence in that room.

Should The Steelers Give The Rookie More Looks?

Rookie Nick Herbig impressed throughout training camp and into the preseason, but he's seen just 85 defensive snaps in his first NFL season. With Watt and Highsmith locked in for awhile, Herbig may not see much playing time on the edge (barring injury). In the meantime, he's become a core special teamer. The rookie picked up his first career sack against the Los Angeles Rams just a few weeks ago, and he has the opportunity to learn from three productive veterans.

Regardless, Austin has kept things simple: play your best players. They (somewhat) preserved Highsmith and Watt over the first two months, but now, they're giving them a ton of snaps down the stretch. The Steelers need wins, as the postseason is well within reach for the AFC North side. Watt has the second-best odds to win his second career AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award, just behind Garrett.

For Highsmith, the sack numbers don't exactly pop off the stat sheet like they did in 2022. In nine games, he has 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, five tackles for loss, and 14 quarterback hits. Despite the minimal sack numbers, his teammates have still noticed his overall impact. The Steelers coaching staff has quite clearly saved up Highsmith and Watt for this important stretch in the season, which should bode well for the pass rush over the next few weeks.