The Pittsburgh Steelers could be without interior offensive lineman Nate Herbig for a significant amount of time.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported on August 18 that Herbig has suffered a torn rotator cuff. ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reported that the Steelers are seeking a second opinion, but the injury could rule out Herbig for the entire 2024 season.
Even with Herbig, the Steelers don’t have much proven depth at center on their roster. Herbig hasn’t played center in an NFL regular season game since 2021 although he has primarily worked at center with the first-team offensive line this summer.
Herbig landing on injured reserve would be bad news for the Steelers. Here are the team’s options to try and overcome the significant potential loss.
Rookie Zach Frazier Likely to Start at Center
The most likely way the Steelers replace Herbig is with Frazier, who is Pittsburgh’s long-term solution at center.
The Steelers selected Frazier at No. 51 overall in this past spring’s draft.
Many draft analysts, including NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, called Frazier a Day 1 starter. Although that wasn’t necessarily the way it was trending in training camp, Frazier appears capable of starting right away.
“Zach’s a hard worker,” Fields said of Frazier, via Pryor. “He’s humble, doesn’t say much, but boy, he works. So glad to have him on the o-line and I mean, he’s a strong, strong boy.”
If the Steelers simply move Frazier into the starting center spot, the bigger question is who will provide depth if Herbig misses the rest of the season.
Ryan McCollum has experience at center, but he hasn’t played in the NFL regular season since 2021 and wasn’t guaranteed to make the Steelers roster prior to Herbig’s injury.
Spencer Anderson and Mason McCormick are Pittsburgh’s best interior line options currently on the roster. Both are projected to be backup guards on the roster this fall.
The Steelers drafted Anderson in the seventh round of the 2023 draft and McCormick in the fourth round this year.
Could the Steelers Re-Sign Mason Cole?
The Steelers surprisingly released veteran center Mason Cole in February. Although he didn’t play well in 2023, Cole’s release was surprising because it left the Steelers without an experienced center on the roster.
That’s why Herbig moved to center to give the Steelers another option besides Frazier.
But without Herbig, Pittsburgh general manager Omar Khan could consider bringing back Cole. He remains a free agent, so he will likely be cheap and could accept a backup role if the Steelers still prefer to roll with Frazier.
Cole started 35 games, including the playoffs, for Pittsburgh from 2022-23. He also started 39 games for the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings prior to signing with the Steelers in March 2022.
Cole would provide valuable depth, experience and familiarity for the Steelers.
Other Free Agent Centers the Steelers Could Pursue
Khan has yet to entertain the possibility of bringing back Cole on a cheaper deal this summer. So, it’s possible that the Steelers have simply moved on from the 28-year-old.
If that’s the case, there are a few other free agent center options they could consider.
The Steelers could try and tempt Corey Linsley not to retire. To do that, though, the Steelers will likely have to guarantee a starting role to Linsley, who made first-team All-Pro in 2020. That’s unlikely.
Scott Quessenberry, Tyler Larsen and Jonotthan Harrison are other options. Both have five years or more of experience and have started at least 10 games in the NFL.
However, Quessenberry didn’t play at all last season because of a torn ACL and MCL. Larsen has also landed on injured reserve because of knee injuries in each of the past three seasons. Meanwhile, Harrison has dressed for only two games over the last four years.
While there are some possibilities, the external options available to the Steelers at center are far from ideal. That’s why a long-term injury to Herbig would be very significant.
