The Steelers doubled up on veteran additions to their roster on Thursday.
In addition to signing tight end Robert Tonyan, they announced that they have signed linebacker Jamin Davis to their 90-man roster. Both players took part in this week’s minicamp on a tryout basis.
Davis had three tackles in two games for the Raiders last season. Their defensive coordinator Patrick Graham now has the same job on Mike McCarthy’s staff in Pittsburgh.
Davis appeared in 54 games for Washington and Minnesota before moving to the Raiders. He had 287 tackles, eight sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in that action.
The Steelers also announced that they have waived tight end Chamon Metayer.
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The Steelers’ decision to move quickly to give linebacker Nick Herbig a four-year, $100 million extension makes the organization’s feeling about the 2023 fourth-round pick clear. As to two other pass rushers on the Pittsburgh roster, it raises questions.
It’s the first time that a team has given a backup a $100 million contract. Which means that Herbig possibly won’t be a backup on Mike McCarthy’s initial official depth chart.
Linebacker T.J. Watt, a first-round pick in 2017, signed a three-year, $123 million extension in 2025. He’s making $41 million per year.
In 2023, linebacker Alex Highsmith (a third-round pick in 2020) signed a four-year, $68 million extension. His new-money APY is $17 million.
The Steelers could keep all three of them, at least for a year. Or they could sit back and wait to see if another team makes them an offer, for either Watt or Highsmith.
Trading Watt would avoid $32 million in guaranteed pay for 2026, while triggering a $10 million cap charge in 2026 and a $20 million cap charge in 2027. Trading Highsmith would avoid his $14.5 million salary for 2026, with a cap charge of $5.6 million in 2026 and a $5.6 million cap charge in 2027.
Chances are the phone has already been ringing. That’s how it goes. Teams always explore whether other players are available, and what it could take to get them.
Given the value of pass rushers — and given that plenty of teams are looking for more of them (the Bears could use one, badly) — the Herbig deal becomes a de facto invitation for other teams to make an offer, for either Watt or Highsmith.
The Steelers are bringing in a veteran tight end who will be a familiar face to some in the building.
Per Brooke Pryor of ESPN, Pittsburgh has agreed to sign Robert Tonyan to a one-year deal.
Tonyan, 32, played for the Packers from 2017-2022, giving him familiarity with both head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Tonyan’s best season came in 2020, when he caught 11 touchdowns from the QB.
He recently received a tryout with Pittsburgh and is now going to join the team’s roster.
Tonyan spent last season with the Chiefs, appearing in all 17 games. He was on the field for 12 percent of offensive snaps and 26 percent of special teams snaps, making just one catch on the season.
Having entered the league in 2017 as an underrated free agent, Tonyan has appeared in 107 career games with 24 starts for the Packers, Bears, Vikings, and Chiefs. He’s caught 149 passes for 1,550 yards with 17 touchdowns.
The Steelers have a lot invested in T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, but that didn’t stop them from making another investment in an edge rusher this week.
They signed Nick Herbig to a four-year, $100 million extension in a move that locks up a third member of their talented group. Herbig has steadily improved since the Steelers made him a fourth-round choice in 2023 and he said on Wednesday that he plans to show the team that they bought low on a player with more to give.
“I can’t wait to show them that they made the right choice,” Herbig said, via Will Graves of the Associated Press.
The Steelers didn’t need any convincing to make Herbig a part of their future for the second time in a few years and he’s just one piece of the 2023 draft class that will be sticking around for a while. Tight end Darnell Washington agreed to an extension on Wednesday and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is on track for one as well.
The Steelers have agreed to terms with tight end Darnell Washington on a four-year extension.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that the deal is worth $42 million with $21 million guaranteed.
The Steelers drafted Washington in the third round in 2023, and he has improved every year.
As a rookie, Washington was used mostly as a blocker and had only seven catches for 61 yards. He caught 19 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown in 2024 before 31 receptions for 364 yards and a touchdown in 2025.
He has played more than 500 snaps on offense in each of his first three seasons despite the Steelers having Pat Freiermuth at the position.
Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt has played mostly on the left side in his career. In fact, he took only 10 snaps on the right side last season, leaving that side to Alex Highsmith.
Watt, though, indicated that he will move around in Patrick Graham’s defense.
”I think in the past, it was a little bit more about me being stubborn,” Watt said, via video from the Post-Gazette Sports. “I think this new system allows [more of that, because] a lot of it is built in, so I really can’t say no. I have to move with it. A lot of us are interchangeable parts. You’re not just learning your position, you kind of have to learn the whole defensive front structure because we all are basically interchangeable. We can do different things, so I think you’re going to see a lot more movement of not just me, but the whole front.”
Watt led the NFL in sacks with 19 in 2023. He has only 18.5 over the past two seasons, including seven in 2025 when he missed three games.
Graham could be just what Watt needs at this point in his career, and the four-time All-Pro is working overtime to learn his coach’s scheme.
“It’s been a lot, not going to lie to you,” Watt said. “It’s been a lot of studying, lot of learning, lot on the iPad. Also, trying to see the new faces, not only players but coaches, but it’s been a lot of really good work. As you guys can see, practices are a little bit different around here, tougher as you get older to get the work in, but it’s all been phenomenal.”
Russell Wilson has made it official.
In a social-media video posted on Wednesday, Wilson announced his retirement from the NFL and confirmed that he will be working for CBS, on The NFL Today.
A third-round pick in 2012, Wilson won the starting job as a rookie, beating out free-agent arrival Matt Flynn.
Wilson made it to the Pro Bowl nine times in 10 seasons with the Seahawks. Traded to the Broncos in 2022, he had two seasons in Denver, one in Pittsburgh, and one with the Giants.
The Jets had interest in adding Wilson as a backup to Geno Smith, who once backed up Wilson in Seattle. Ultimately, Wilson chose TV over continuing to play.
In the years to come, Wilson’s Hall of Fame candidacy will be debated. Former Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty said on Tuesday’s PFT Live that Wilson was in the second tier of NFL quarterbacks during McCourty’s career, which largely overlapped with Wilson’s.
Still, Wilson had a strong run in the NFL. He defied his size, won a Super Bowl, and was the highest-paid player in the NFL, twice.
The Browns added a little extra protection for themselves to complete the Myles Garrett trade to the Rams this week.
While Cleveland received edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick from Los Angeles in exchange for Garrett, the league’s daily transaction wire noted that the final pick was conditional.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the condition on that 2029 third-round pick is that it will become a first-round pick in the event that the Rams trade Garrett to a team in the AFC North.
It doesn’t seem likely that the Rams would even want to trade Garrett at any point in the future.
But just in case they do, the Browns have at least made it unlikely that they’ll ever see Garrett twice a year on the opposing sideline.
The Steelers signed edge rusher Nick Herbig to a four-year contract extension on Tuesday and he hasn’t been the only player angling for a new deal with the team this offseason.
Herbig’s fellow 2023 draft pick Joey Porter Jr. is also entering the final year of his rookie deal and the cornerback’s participation level at OTAs reflects the position that he’s in. Porter has been in attendance, but Tuesday saw him take part in some walkthrough work early before standing to the side during more active periods of the workout.
Porter said he has been at the voluntary work because he wants “to show the new coaching staff that I’m here for the new process” and added that “everybody knows I want to be out there” for all of the work in reference to his limited activity. Porter didn’t delve into what he’s looking for in his next deal, but made it clear that he thinks he’s proven himself to be worthy of a major investment.
“I was an elite guy since I’ve been in this league,” Porter said, via Mike DeFabo of TheAthletic.com. “I’m happy that I’m getting the respect that I feel like I’m owed.”
Porter was referring to how he’s perceived around the league and finding common ground with the team’s perception will be essential to making an agreement on a new deal in Pittsburgh.
Nick Herbig is in the final year of his rookie deal, but the edge rusher won’t be hitting free agency in 2027.
According to multiple reports, Herbig has agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Steelers. It’s a $100 million deal with $42 million in guaranteed money.
Herbig was a 2023 fourth-round pick and he is coming off a career-high 7.5 sacks during the 2025 season. Herbig also had 13 tackles for loss and 18 quarterback hits in 15 overall appearances.
Herbig has 79 tackles, 16 sacks, an interception, nine forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries for his career.
The Steelers also have T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith on the depth chart at edge rusher. Both players are signed through at least the 2027 season, so the Steelers will either remain deep at that spot or make a move in a different direction at some point in the future.
