Noah Hiles: The Steelers' stars aren't getting any younger. Does anyone else have that potential?

Noah Hiles, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Jun 7, 2026

Published in Football

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PITTSBURGH — Last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers opened up the checkbook to secure a pair of up-and-comers.

On Tuesday, they inked edge rusher Nick Herbig to a new five-year, $103.67 million contract. His deal includes $42 million of guaranteed money. A day later, they gave tight end Darnell Washington a new contract. His deal features the same length as Herbig’s, and is worth $45.674 million.

Herbig and Washington arrived in Pittsburgh in 2023, both as members of the first draft class under general manager Omar Khan. They’ve developed well throughout their first three years in the league, showing the ability to impact the game on their respective sides of the ball.

Right now, Herbig and Washington are fringe starters, both on the cusp of becoming true key players within the franchise. I think both will end up having solid NFL careers. They’ll be guys who will provide reliable production year after year. But both have a clear ceiling. I don’t expect either to be a star, which seems to be a running theme among essentially all of the draft picks and other acquisitions throughout the Khan era.

It’s still a bit early to judge most of the draft selections Khan has made. So far, it seems like there have been more hits than misses. The 2023, 2024 and 2025 drafts added solid depth to both sides of the ball, especially up front.

But the one thing that’s lacking is star power.

Make no mistake, the Steelers have a few elite talents on their roster. But those individuals aren’t getting any younger.

Let’s start with the defense. Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt are future Hall of Famers. They’ve led the charge for years. And while there are plenty of other solid contributors around them, no one on this team has really come close to reaching their level over an extended period of time.

This isn’t a major concern at the moment. Heyward and Watt both still have a few years of good football remaining. But when they inevitably start to fade, who will be the one that receives the torch? Is there anyone else on the defense capable of playing at a consistent All-Pro level? Right now, I just don’t see it.

The offense, of course, is even a bigger puzzle. That side of the football has lacked a true impact talent for years. George Pickens might be the lone exception, but he’s no longer here and never truly realized his potential when he was. Similar to the defense, that unit has a handful of solid players. There might be a guy or two who eventually earns one All-Pro selection. But year after year? Again, that’s a tough bet to make with this bunch.

Right now, it’s hard to find anyone on this team below the age of 28 worth building around. There are plenty of blocks on this roster, but no foundation.

I understand superstars don’t grow on trees. For the majority of my life, it felt like the Steelers always had a few guys every other team in the league struggled to find an answer for. This franchise spoiled us with Hall of Famer after Hall of Famer, which, of course, translated into a rich tradition of team success.

But we’re approaching a time where that could no longer be the case. It’s not difficult to imagine a Steelers team a few years down the road that is without a true face of the franchise — or at least one that is comparable to others who previously held that honor.

I’m not suggesting the sky is falling. I don’t anticipate this year’s Steelers to be much different than last year’s. I don’t foresee this organization plummeting into a total afterthought anytime soon. But I also don’t see a roster that boasts a brighter future, either, unless a new superstar emerges soon.

As I noted above, it’s still a little early to judge the many selections made throughout the Khan era. There’s plenty of good. We’ll see if anyone ends up being great. Perhaps Herbig, Washington or Joey Porter Jr. take the next step in 2026. Maybe it will be one of the offensive prospects drafted in April. Or maybe that player will come next year.

Time will ultimately tell. But time is also ticking. Teams without superstars don’t typically go very far in this league. And for a team looking to end an annoyingly long stretch without a playoff victory, that’s not the most encouraging reality to face.

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