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ESPN’s Bill Barnwell proposed the Pittsburgh Steelers trade Nick Herbig to the Philadelphia Eagles for Tanner McKee.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could badly use a long-term solution behind center. For a chance to find that in quarterback Tanner McKee, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell argued the Steelers should give up a defensive starter.
On the latest episode of NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal, Barnwell proposed Pittsburgh deal edge rusher Nick Herbig for McKee.
“If you need a Tanner McKee and you knew someone who obsesses over edge rushing talent, would you not call the Eagles and say, ‘Nick Herbig, Tanner McKee, two guys on rookie deals,” said Barnwell.
“You get a cost control player for another year who had phenomenal pass rushing numbers, and we get our quarterback of the future.
“Does that not seem like a scratch my back, I scratch yours situation?”
While on one hand, the trade makes sense, it really doesn’t in a lot of other ways. Let’s break down why.
Why the Steelers Could Trade Nick Herbig or Acquire Tanner McKee
Barnwell seemed to propose the Herbig-McKee swap in a vacuum. So, let’s look at it from that perspective first.
Herbig is a budding star but doesn’t start for the Steelers. He’s on an expiring rookie contract entering 2026. If the Steelers don’t plan to extend him because they already have a lot of money tied into edge rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, moving on from Herbig this offseason makes sense.
In 2025, Herbig posted a career-best 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and 18 quarterback hits. He also had three pass defenses, three forced fumbles and an interception.
If the Steelers shopped him on the trade market, he could net a decent return.
Behind center, the Steelers will need a quarterback if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t return. McKee could be an intriguing target. In six career NFL games, McKee has registered a 61.4% completion percentage with five touchdowns and one interception. He’s averaged 6.8 yards per pass.
During 2026, McKee could compete with Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. All three quarterbacks would be on affordable deals, so the Steelers could truly start whichever signal-caller performs the best in training camp and the preseason.
Why the Steelers Shouldn’t Trade Herbig for McKee
If the Steelers are extremely confident McKee is the solution behind center, then he would be worth Herbig in a trade. That’s not a knock on Herbig; franchise quarterbacks are just priceless.
But betting on McKee being “the guy” is risky. It’s a costly risk if the Steelers give up a future edge rushing starter for the quarterback.
“That wouldn’t be a good deal for the Steelers, unless the Eagles send them significant draft compensation as well. McKee on his own isn’t worth Herbig,” wrote Steelers Depot’s Troy Montgomery.
“McKee was a 2023 sixth-round pick by the Eagles. He hasn’t proven much in his career, either. He’s appeared in six games with only two starts. While his starts are good, throwing for 597 yards, five touchdowns and only one interception, it’s far too limited of a sample size to say that he could be the Steelers’ quarterback of the future.”
Barnell may have partially addressed that in his argument. He said the positional value of quarterback makes the deal worthwhile for the Steelers.
Yet, from the Eagles’ perspective, Barnwell argued Herbig is a worthy addition because of how much Philadelphia values edge rushers.
It’s not as though the Steelers don’t value that position too. And Pittsburgh giving up its edge rushing depth with Watt appearing to be in decline would not be a good defensive strategy.
Again, the Steelers adding McKee in a vacuum makes some sense. But a quarterback room of McKee, Rudolph and Howard wouldn’t inspire much confidence for 2026. Trading for McKee would just about rule out signing any free agent signal-callers, including Rodgers.
In summary, the Steelers trading Herbig or acquiring McKee this offseason isn’t off the table. But swapping one for the other isn’t a good idea, and the Steelers shouldn’t acquire McKee until they have a Rodgers decision.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb
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