Outside linebacker: Nick Herbig, Alex Highsmith, Jeremiah Moon, Jack Sawyer, T.J. Watt
The Steelers' faith in their outside linebackers this season was such that even in a matchup against a pair of twin terrors they expected to have an edge on the edge.
"It's just been emphasized that we gotta be the best edge group in the stadium this weekend," outside linebacker Alex Highsmith noted in advance of the Steelers' postseason hosting of Houston on Jan. 12.
Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter and the Texans ultimately had the last laugh, registering a combined 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and five quarterback hits as Houston advanced, 30-6.
"Extremely frustrating," outside linebacker T.J. Watt acknowledged regarding that result.
Watt had a fumble recovery against the Texans.
But for Watt and Alex Highsmith, time lost was an unfortunate part of a 2025 story that ultimately didn't end the way the Steelers had anticipated.
Watt played three fewer games this season than he had in 2024 (14, down from 17), and that translated into fewer tackles (55, down from 61), fewer sacks (seven, down from 11.5), fewer quarterback hits (19, down from 27), fewer tackles for a loss (10, down from 19) and fewer forced fumbles (three, down from six).
Watt had 19 sacks in 2023 and has 18.5 in the two seasons since.
His two interceptions were two more than he had in 2024 and his two fumble recoveries matched his total from a season ago.
But Watt, the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 (22.5 sacks, 21 tackles for a loss), wasn't named an Associated Press First-Team or Second-Team All-Pro for just the second time in the last seven campaigns. The other exception occurred in 2022, when Watt appeared in just 10 games.
Watt and Nick Herbig tied for the team lead with three forced fumbles.
Highsmith missed four games and his numbers came up short of his dominating 2022 campaign, when he led the NFL with five forced fumbles and amassed 14.5 sacks and 20 quarterback hits in 17 games. Highsmith led the Steelers with 15 tackles for a loss, which matched the career-high number he posted in 2021.
His 13-game totals this time around included one forced fumble and 9.5 sacks.
Herbig made a career-high six starts and played a career-high 60 percent of the defensive snaps. Herbig, a third-year pro, also registered career-high totals in tackles (30), sacks (7.5), quarterback hits (18) and tackles for a loss (13).
Defensive schemes included a periodic diet of Watt, Highsmith and Herbig on the field at the same time in third-down/passing situations, often with Herbig rushing from more of a middle linebacker position.
The trio of Highsmith, Herbig and Watt finished one-two-three among Steelers in sacks (9.5, 7.5, 7.0) and tackles for a loss (15, 13, 10).
Highsmith and Watt tied for the team lead in pressures (19) and Herbig was third (18).
Rookie Jack Sawyer (fourth round, Ohio State) made one start while appearing in all 17 regular-season games and contributed one sack and two interceptions (which tied for the team lead) to the Steelers' defensive splash. Sawyer also finished fourth among Steelers with 14 tackles on special teams.
Moon was a late-season addition to the roster and played in the Steelers' win on Dec. 21 at Detroit and loss on Dec. 28 at Cleveland.
