The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a new look offensively this season. That’s good because last year’s offense was the fifth-worst scoring attack in the NFL. Whether it’s Russell Wilson or Justin Fields as the Steelers’ starting quarterback, both have a strong chance to deliver better results than Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph did.
However, the Steelers will only be as good as their offensive line allows them to be, and they’ve had plenty of problems in the trenches over the past few years. Unfortunately, they may have just lost a projected starter to a season-ending injury.
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Pittsburgh Steelers’ Nate Herbig suffers torn rotator cuff, opening door for Zach Frazier
Nate Herbig joined the Pittsburgh Steelers last season after spending time with the Eagles and Jets. Signing with Pittsburgh allowed him to join his brother, Nick, who was the 132nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Amazingly, Nate made the decision to sign with the Steelers in March, and the draft didn’t take place until April.
It turned out to be a great decision. Nick thrived as a rookie, tallying three sacks and two forced fumbles despite not starting a single game. But he played in all 17. As for Nate, he played all 17 games too, but he only started two games.
This year, Nate had been practicing as the starting center dating back to minicamp. He was in position to stick with the first-string offense when Pittsburgh’s season kicked off in Week 1 in Atlanta. Unfortunately, Herbig won’t get that chance.
According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Nick Herbig has suffered a torn rotator cuff. It’s a significant injury that could cost him his entire season. Now, the Steelers are projected to start a rookie at center instead.
The good news, if there is any, is that this rookie is second-round pick Zach Frazier. The 51st overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft was viewed as a potential first-round pick, but the Steelers’ front office managed to snag him on the second day instead. Frazier has good size, at 6-foot-3, 313 pounds, and possesses impressive athleticism for a lineman. He also has a wrestling background, which should help him have an advanced understanding of leverage too. In total, Frazier has a chance to be a very good lineman for the Steelers.
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