Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview: Outside Linebackers

The Pittsburgh Steelers enter training camp with unmatched depth at outside linebacker, featuring four players who have already proven they can contribute at the NFL level.

T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith remain the established starters, but Nick Herbig‘s emergence has made the distribution of snaps one of the most intriguing questions surrounding the defense. The Steelers reinforced their commitment to Herbig during the offseason by signing him to a new four-year contract extension.

Jack Sawyer also returns for his second season after gaining valuable experience as a rookie. Together, the four give new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham several options for generating pressure and creating different looks within his defense.

Here’s a closer look at the outside linebackers heading to Latrobe.

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T.J. Watt

T.J. Watt remains the biggest name in Pittsburgh’s outside linebacker room, but he enters training camp looking to rebound from a relatively quiet season by his standards.

Watt finished 2025 with seven sacks, his lowest total in a full season since his rookie year. However, his impact extended beyond that number. Offenses continued to devote additional blockers and protection toward his side, creating opportunities for Highsmith, Herbig, and others to attack favorable matchups.

It also didn’t help that Watt was injured midseason, through no fault of his own: he was stabbed in a lung and was noticeably affected upon his return.

This season, the arrival of Patrick Graham could lead to some changes in how Watt is deployed too. Graham has experience designing multiple defensive fronts and finding different ways to create pressure, which could allow the Steelers to move Watt around rather than leaving him in one predictable location. (Watt has also noted the same in offseason interviews.)

Even with the growing depth behind him, Watt remains the player opposing offenses must account for on every snap.

What to watch: How Patrick Graham plans to deploy Watt and whether the Steelers can create more one-on-one opportunities for him.

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Alex Highsmith

Alex Highsmith led the Steelers with 9.5 sacks in 2025 despite appearing in only 13 games. He also tied career highs with 15 tackles for loss and three passes defensed, continuing to show that he is more than simply the player rushing opposite Watt. When healthy, Highsmith’s technique, consistency, and ability to defend the run have made him one of Pittsburgh’s most dependable defenders.

Highsmith was especially effective late in the season as the Steelers captured the AFC North, even being named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 9.

His production during that stretch reinforced his importance to a defense that had several capable pass rushers but still benefited greatly from having him on the field.

The biggest question is no longer whether Highsmith can produce. Instead, it is how the Steelers will divide opportunities between three highly paid outside linebackers who all deserve substantial roles.

What to watch: Whether Highsmith remains an every-down starter, becomes part of a more balanced rotation with Watt and Herbig, or becomes a trade target.

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Nick Herbig

Nick Herbig’s role is no longer that of a typical backup. Herbig produced career highs across the board in 2025, finishing with 7.5 sacks, 18 quarterback hits, 13 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and an interception. He also made six starts and played 60 percent of the Steelers’ defensive snaps.

That production convinced Pittsburgh to sign him to a new four-year contract extension, making it clear that Herbig is viewed as an important part of the defense’s present and future.

The contract also creates one of the biggest questions entering camp. Watt and Highsmith remain established starters, but Herbig has earned more than an occasional rotational role. The Steelers experimented with packages that placed all three on the field together last season, including looks that moved Herbig inside before sending him after the quarterback.

Graham must now find enough opportunities to maximize all three without making any of them an expensive spectator. Otherwise, someone will likely be the odd man out. That could be banking on an aging Watt over a younger, but inconsistently available Highsmith.

What to watch: How Graham gets Watt, Highsmith, and Herbig on the field together and whether Herbig’s new contract leads to a larger defensive role.

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Jack Sawyer

Jack Sawyer enters his second training camp after providing the Steelers with dependable depth during his rookie season.

The 2025 fourth-round pick appeared in 16 games and finished with 34 tackles and one sack. He also contributed on special teams while stepping into a larger defensive role when injuries affected the outside linebacker room.

Sawyer was not expected to receive extensive playing time behind Watt, Highsmith, and Herbig, but his rookie season gave him valuable experience and showed that he could be trusted when called upon.

His path to regular defensive snaps remains crowded, especially following Herbig’s extension. However, Sawyer’s size, physical style, and ability to contribute on special teams should give him an important role even when the Steelers’ top three outside linebackers are healthy. It also provides an insurance policy against the future, should Watt or Highsmith not remain in the Steelers long-term plans.

What to watch: Whether Sawyer takes a significant second-year step and earns a larger role beyond special teams and injury replacement duties.