The Pittsburgh Steelers' decision at the center position may have just gotten a lot easier, as Nate Herbig reportedly has a significant shoulder injury.
According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Herbig "has a significant shoulder injury that will keep him out for an extended period of time, per sources."
This obviously means that rookie center Zach Frazier is now in line to get the nod to start to begin the regular season. Frazier had been gaining momentum in recent weeks after strong showings in practice and in preseason Week 1. In fact, he outshined his veteran competition in the exhibition opener.
Nate Herbig, the starting center since the beginning of training camp, has a significant shoulder injury that will keep him out for an extended period of time, per sources. That means rookie Zach Frazier becomes the starter and will begin the regular season there.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) August 17, 2024
Frazier tallied the highest run-blocking grade in the contest, per Pro Football Focus, and had a solid 73.0 pass-blocking grade and didn't give up a pressure or a sack.
Meanwhile, Herbig had a pair of bad exchanges with quarterback Justin Fields and struggled in run-blocking.
Frazier starting at center was a matter of when, not if. Now, there is no doubt he will be in the starting lineup right away.
We'll get our next look at Frazier when the Steelers return to preseason action on Saturday night against the Dallas Cowboys, which will also be quarterback Russell Wilson's debut Steelers debut.