Steelers OL Nate Herbig Has Potentially Season-Ending Injury

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman’s Nate Herbig could be season-ending.

Herbig, who suffered a shoulder injury last week in practice, did not participate in Saturday’s second Steelers preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. Head coach Mike Tomlin said that he was seeking a second opinion and that he’d have an update later this week.

Multiple media outlets reported on Sunday that Herbig has suffered a torn rotator cuff and that he could miss the entire 2024 season. A 2023 study revealed that the average rotator cuff surgery took an NFL players 28 weeks to recover from, which would put Herbig out for the entirety of the regular season and playoffs, though some players were able to return more quickly.

Either way, it seems likely that rookie Zach Frazier will be the team’s starting center throughout, as long as he continues his strong play. Tomlin praised Frazier’s work with the first team on Saturday.

“I was largely satisfied with the work that I saw from Zach,” Tomlin said.

RELATED: Bell: Steelers Rookie Zach Frazier Ready to Start Day One (+)

Herbig is in the final season of a two-year, $8 million contract that he signed in 2023 and he will become a free agent in 2025. The Stanford grad is also one of the team’s smartest offensive linemen and a leader of the tight-knit unit.

“Nate’s extremely smart, extremely tough, and he’s a leader,” offensive line coach Pat Meyer said earlier in training camp. “That’s what you want. He’s been awesome. He’s been so good with Zach, too, helping him and teaching him.”

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Nate Herbig before a game against the Green Bay Packers, Nov. 12, 2023 – Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

While the team always intended for Frazier to eventually take over at the center position, Herbig provided excellent value as multi-position backup in the middle of the offensive line last season, and his injury opens up a hole at the center position, in particular.

Second-year offensive lineman Spencer Anderson, who has played some center in the past, has primarily been working at guard this season, and has been playing the best football of his career as of late as a result of the switch.

Fourth-round rookie Mason McCormick, who played guard at South Dakota State, has taken some snaps in individual work this offseason, but never in a team setting.

The Steelers likely have nine NFL linemen remaining, with Frazier joined by guards Isaac Seumalo, James Daniels, McCormick and Spencer and tackles Dan Moore Jr., Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu and Dylan Cook. But they’ll have to find a way to have a backup center within that group, or make a move from the outside at the expense of someone else.

STEELERS INJURY REPORT vs BILLS