PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without their center for the 2024 season after Nate Herbig was placed on the reserve/injured list Tuesday afternoon with a torn rotator cuff.
Herbig sustained the injury on the final day of training camp last Wednesday. He had established himself as a starter after the Steelers released Mason Cole in February, which led to him practicing with the first team throughout training camp.
Before Pittsburgh’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills last Saturday, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Herbig’s injury was serious and would keep him out for an extended period of time. On Sunday, he followed up on that news by saying that Herbig had torn his rotator cuff and would likely be out for the rest of the season.
Herbig’s move to the reserve/injured list before the 53-man roster was reduced means he will not be able to return for Pittsburgh this year. He will become a free agent next offseason after signing a two-year, $8 million contract with the Steelers last March.
As a result, second-round rookie Zach Frazier will likely step in as the full-time starter after stepping up in that role against the Bills and putting in admirable performances that earned him praise from Russell Wilson. The 22-year-old played four years at West Virginia and was a two-time All-American (’21, ’23) while starting 46 games for the Mountaineers.
Herbig played in all 17 games for the Steelers last season, but only played on the offensive line in three of them. He started at right guard in Weeks 3 and 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans for the injured James Daniels, while in Week 13 against the Arizona Cardinals he replaced Isaac Seumalo at left guard when Seumalo left with a shoulder injury.
The Steelers could now be looking for outside reinforcements for Frazier at the center position before the start of the regular season, either on the waiver wire or free agent market. Ryan McCollum and Anderson Handy are currently listed as the third and fourth options for the position, respectively, according to the team’s official roster.
Be sure to bookmark Steelers OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film analysis and more.
