The Pittsburgh Steelers starting 2024 second-round pick Zach Frazier at center was always a matter of when, not if. Well, it looks like that when will be Week 1 of the regular season.
According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, center Nate Herbig, who was the favorite to start to begin the season, has suffered a serious shoulder injury that will force him to miss an extended period of time. Herbig suffered the injury during practice earlier this week.
With Herbig out of the mix, Frazier is now expected to start right away. The rookie had been gaining momentum in recent weeks and was getting more and more first-team reps as a result.
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
After a strong week of practices, Frazier shined in the preseason Week 1 game versus the Houston Texans. The West Virginia product had the team's highest run-blocking grade (72.2) among offensive linemen in the contest, per Pro Football Focus, and he had a solid 73.0 pass-blocking grade after not giving up any sacks or pressures.
Frazier's showing was particularly noteworthy because Herbig had a pair of bad snaps with quarterback Justin Fields, leading to two fumbles. He also had a lackluster showing in the run game, posting a PFF grade of 58.4.
With Frazier in line to start, the Steelers may have both of their top-two picks from this year's draft starting upfront in Week 1, as first-round pick Troy Fautanu is reportedly expected to start at right tackle if he recovers from his injury in time.
The Steelers will play their second preseason game on Saturday night, and Frazier should be the first center to take the field. He'll also get his first game action with projected starter Russell Wilson, who is making his preseason debut.