The Nick Herbig breakout season has officially begun

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 3-0 for just the second time since the 2010 season, and it didn't come easy. Pittsburgh lost edge rusher Alex Highsmith in their Week 3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers , but they didn't miss a beat thanks to Nick Herbig.

The second-year edge rusher had two sacks, one of which was a strip sack that nearly resulted in a turnover, as he continues to show that he is deserving of more reps defensively. Several Steelers defenders were asked about Herbig stepping up and having such a big impact on the game.

"We got all the confidence in the world in Herbo," linebacker Elandon Roberts said. "It's family oriented. We only want to see our brothers thrive."

Defensive tackle Cam Heyward also chimed in on the Wisconsin product's big day.

"Just because you're not starting doesn't mean you're not ready to play," Heyward said. "Herbig's been ready for it. He had a great preseason. With Alex down, I think Herbig's ready to step up."

Herbig was asked about his performance, but kept the focus on the team and the win.

"I'm not too worried about that," Herbig said. "At the end of the day, we got the dub. That's all we can ask for. First one at home. Steeler Nation showed out today."

Herbig added that this defense is a special unit in large part because of the bond they share.

"The way we bond, man - we have a tight-knit group," Herbig said. "We play off each other. We got guys bringing energy... we just love to play the game of football together."

Herbig had three sacks last season and is already close to tying that number. He's also seeing a higher snap count. He played in 17 percent of defensive snaps in 2023. Entering Week 3, he was on the field for 29 percent of snaps, and that number will certainly be higher after he played the entire second half as the opposite starter.

The jump and ability to get to the quarterback is evident every time Herbig takes the field. If he is called upon to start for any period of time, the Steelers will have a hard time taking snaps away from him when the time comes.