Bears Have a Chance to Steal Emerging Steelers Star Before Deadline
It wouldn’t be a blockbuster, but there may be a sneaky-good opportunity for the Chicago Bears before the trade deadline hits.
Over in Pittsburgh, Nick Herbig is 23, still on his rookie deal and producing like a starter even while sitting behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Through six games in 2025, he’s got 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception, and, per Fansided’s Marcus Mosher, he has a 94.0 defensive grade since Week 4 — third-best in the league over that stretch behind only Micah Parsons and Aiden Hutchinson.
The Bears have had issues with their pass rush so far this season, and they’re already shelling out big bucks to the likes of Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo. Adding an ascending player like Herbig, who is still on his rookie deal, would give Chicago an opportunity to audition him for the long term at a very reasonable price.
It would also give them immediate help on defense, which, with all the injuries to the secondary, wouldn’t be a bad thing.
A Closer Look at Herbig’s Game
Herbig is smaller than Allen likes his edge rushers at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, but he’s versatile, which Allen covets. A 2023 fourth-round pick (No. 132 overall) out of Wisconsin, Herbig was an all-Big Ten edge, and he has played well past his draft status since entering the league.
Herbig would give Allen a fourth rusher (Austin Booker is back after a stint on injured reserve) — and one who can actually threaten the edge all by himself. He’s just 23, but he already has eight forced fumbles in 36 career games (seven starts).
Per PFF, he has 26 total pressures in 182 pass rush snaps this season. There’s no doubt he’s an ascending player the Steelers probably don’t want to part with, but that doesn’t mean Ryan Poles shouldn’t be calling about him.
The Bears have been banged up at corner — Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are both on injured reserve and have already missed the bulk of the season — which means Chicago’s secondary could use some help. More pressure on opposing quarterbacks is a huge help to a thin secondary.
Plus, it never hurts to ask.
Bears Trade Proposal Sends Steelers Edge Nick Herbig to Chicago
The Steelers already pay Watt big money ($123 million with $108 of that guaranteed), and Highsmith is also on a lucrative $68 million deal. Considering they’re already paying their top two edge rushers more than the Bears are paying Sweat and Odeyingbo, Pittsburgh likely isn’t going to want to pay a third.
A trade for Herbig may seem like a bit of a long shot, but CBS Sports named him a potential trade candidate, and it never hurts to ask.
Here’s a trade proposal we put together we think works for both sides:
- Bears get: Nick Herbig
- Steelers get: 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 sixth that becomes a fifth if Herbig hits 7.0 sacks for Chicago in 2025.
Moving a rotational edge for a future third — when they’re already trying to find snaps for rookie Jack Sawyer — might be something the Steelers might consider. If the Steelers wanted a second-rounder, that would be something for Poles to ponder.
Herbig is in Year 3 of a four-year rookie deal the Steelers signed him to in 2023. If you’re the Bears, you’d be getting 1.5 seasons of cost-controlled edge play and then the right to extend him before he even turns 25. That’s incredible value.
The Steelers still list him behind Highsmith at ROLB, and he’s not a full-time starter. Few teams in the NFL have the kind of pass rushing depth Pittsburgh does. Considering their current deficiencies, Chicago should be trying to bring some of that talent over to the Windy City.
Grades: Lions' Explosive Offense Overshadowed By Penalties
The Detroit Lions were unable to steal a win after holding the upper hand in a pair of joint practices in their third preseason game this season. The Miami Dolphins stormed back in the second half and did just enough to keep the Lions at bay, winning 24-17.
Penalties were a big factor in this game, as the two teams combined for 22 penalties including 13 for 86 yards on the Lions.
Here are grades for each position group in the Lions' 24-17 preseason loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Quarterbacks: B-
Kyle Allen has taken a commanding lead of the backup job through three preseason games, and he was fantastic throughout the first half of Saturday's game. The veteran finished 14-of-17 and threw two touchdowns, one of which was the result of a two-minute drive that he finished 6-for-6 on.
Hendon Hooker sputtered at the start of the second half, as the Lions struggled to move the ball. They got a break after a muffed punt gave them the ball deep in Miami territory, and Hooker was able to finish off his first scoring drive of the preseason.
Hooker led a promising drive at the end of the game with the Lions down seven. However, it came to a crashing halt when Ethan Robinson made a phenomenal play to intercept Hooker's final pass of the night.
Running backs: B
The Lions had some difficulties running the ball early in Saturday's game. Craig Reynolds averaged 2.2 yards per carry, but the team got strong performances from Jacob Saylors and Sione Vaki.
Detroit got Vaki onto the field for the first time this preseason, as he had been dealing with a hamstring injury throughout camp. As long as he stays healthy, he'll have plenty of special teams value in addition to what he can do on the ground.
Newcomer Deon Jackson made his Lions debut, carrying the ball four times for 20 yards. Both Saylors and Jackson have caught the coaching staff's eye, and could make things interesting down the stretch.
Wide receivers: B+
The Lions' group of young wide receivers continues to steal the show in the preseason. Isaac TeSlaa and Jackson Meeks each scored for the second-straight week, and both players had highlight-reel plays.
TeSlaa is a lock to make the roster, and could be working his way into a bigger role after another solid performance. Meeks, meanwhile, is giving the coaching staff plenty of pause about whether or not he's someone they can afford to leave off the roster.
Dominic Lovett was back in action after suffering an abdominal injury, and he had two catches for 14 yards in addition to a fumble recovery.
Tight ends: C
The Lions' tight end depth took a hit with the injury to Kenny Yeboah, but the tandem of Shane Zylstra and Zach Horton are still making for an intriguing position battle for the third and presumably final roster spot.
Detroit got a nice look at Horton, as he played 72 percent of the snaps in Saturday's game. He was more involved in the passing attack, with two catches for 15 yards, but also was whistled for holding at one point. Zylstra played less of the snaps and did not get any targets.
Offensive line: C+
The Lions got two tackles back in the mix with Dan Skipper and Jamarco Jones both returning. The overall effort from the offensive line was sloppy, as there was a plethora of whistles throughout the afternoon.
Giovanni Manu, who entered at tackle at halftime, was the guilty party on a holding call that negated Hooker's touchdown run in the third quarter. The team does have some nice offensive line depth, as veterans Netane Muti and Kayode Awosika could help along with Skipper and Jones in the event of an injury.
While it wasn't the cleanest effort, the Lions should walk away from this game feeling solid about the depth they have at their disposal up front.
Defensive line: C+
The defensive line was able to get some pressure on Zach Wilson throughout the first half, but struggled to get to Quinn Ewers after the intermission. Isaac Ukwu had two sacks on the afternoon, but one was negated due to a facemask on linebacker Grant Stuard.
Outside of Ukwu and the occasional contributions from Nate Lynn, the pass-rush was largely stagnant. Lynn had a tackle for loss, though, and Lions' defensive interior did a decent job of stifling the Dolphins' run game.
Linebackers: B
The Lions have plenty of depth at the linebacker position, as the likes of Ezekiel Turner and Grant Stuard bring veteran depth to the group. The issue may be just how many of the options can make the roster, as there's a case for each of the players to have a spot when the team breaks camp.
Turner had nine total tackles Saturday, while Stuard had four solo tackles and a forced fumble. While Stuard's facemask penalty negated a sack, he has proven to be a player the Lions can rely on in multiple aspects of the game. Behind the starting trio of Barnes, Anzalone and Campbell, the Lions should feel quite confident in what they have.
Secondary: B-
The Lions' secondary bounced back in a big way after some ups and downs against Atlanta. Specifically, Erick Hallett was much better. He paced the defense with three pass breakups, including one in the end zone to stifle a Dolphins drive.
Nick Whiteside continues to impress as well, deflecting one pass and making four combined tackles. Luq Barcoo and D.J. Miller each had two pass breakups as well. Safety Loren Strickland had four total tackles, while Ian Kennelly had two assisted stops.
Special teams: B
Jake Bates connected on his only field goal attempt of the afternoon to remain perfect, while Jack Fox boomed seven punts that averaged a gross over 50 yards. When the Lions are strong on special teams, they are incredibly difficult to beat.
Detroit's special teams also benefited from the presence of Sione Vaki, who is expected to be a core special teams player on multiple units.
Coaching: B
The Lions look to have found their backup at this point, as the decision to start Kyle Allen paid off with 14 first-half points. Allen looks much more comfortable in the offense than Hooker has through the first three preseason games.
Ultimately, the Lions' depth players weren't able to squeeze out the victory, but Detroit should feel pretty solid following this week as they dominated the joint practices between these two teams.
The Lions' starters passed the test, and while they weren't able to emerge victorious, the Lions and coach Dan Campbell should feel good about where they're at heading into the preseason finale.
