Zach Frazier looks set to serve as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting center Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. It just leaves one question – who’s the backup? Assuming Nate Herbig isn’t healthy enough to hold that role, there is no clear backup. Here’s a list of internal and external options to monitor.
Internal Options
Spencer Anderson – Arguably the most logical and likely internal candidate to fill that role. Anderson hasn’t taken a rep at center this summer but he saw action there during his rookie year. The hyper-versatile seventh round pick played all five o-line spots during the 2023 camp and logged five center snaps during the preseason. It’s not much but Anderson has the football IQ and clearly the trust of the coaching staff to move around, filling in whenever there’s an open spot along the line. He saw the bulk of the first-team left guard reps when Isaac Seumalo rested and kicked out to right tackle to help compensate for Troy Fautanu’s absence.
If Herbig begins the year on injured reserve, the Steelers can easily keep Anderson and OT Dylan Cook as the final two of the nine offensive linemen on the roster. Remember, under new NFL rules, Herbig wouldn’t have to make the initial 53-man roster in order to return later this season. He can be placed on IR on cutdown day.
Mason McCormick – Pittsburgh’s fourth round pick and third offensive linemen the team nabbed in this year’s draft, the vast majority of his work in college and NFL have come at guard. But during the final team period of camp after Herbig got hurt, McCormick got a few team reps at center after often snapping pre-practice to the quarterbacks.
Remember, before the draft, the Steelers privately worked McCormick out specifically to see him at center. Presumably, that was a backup plan had they missed out on the top three centers in the draft. Asking McCormick to be the backup center is risky and asking a ton but McCormick’s had a good spring and they definitely like him.
Ryan McCollum – The one center option with Sunday experience, he logged over 100 snaps with the Detroit Lions in 2021. Signed mid-way through the 2022 training camp when the Steelers’ backups were a mess and the team made several summer changes, McCollum has been on the practice squad since.
His play this year has done little to put him into 53-man roster consideration and he feels more like practice squad/AAAA player than someone to use an Active/Inactive spot on. But he can play center and guard and has experience so he shouldn’t be discounted either.
External Options
Mason Cole – If Pittsburgh wants an NFL veteran who knows Pat Meyer’s system, they could reunite with Mason Cole. He struggled mightily last year and was released before his March 2024 roster bonus was due. Since, it’s seemingly been quiet on the free agency front without any reports of teams having interest or bringing him in for a visit.
Cole might not be an ideal name but coming in as a pure backup than starter is more palatable. And it’s not like any of the other options out there are perfect, either.
Other Veteran Free Agent – Of which there are many to suggest, especially as teams trim their rosters from 90 to 53 on Aug. 27. We’ll narrow down and research a list closer to that date but Denver’s Sam Mustipher or even bringing back J.C. Hassenauer, who signed with Washington just before Herbig got hurt, are possibilities. Someone with experience and veteran depth so the team won’t have to roll the dice on a rookie or second-year player.
