Steelers must be cautious with Zach Frazier in wake of Nate Herbig shoulder injury

Many Pittsburgh Steelers fans hoped to see rookie center Zach Frazier get work with the starters during the preseason. This is a lesson to be careful what you wish for.

During Pittsburgh's final training camp practice on August 14, veteran center Nick Herbig went down with an undisclosed injury -- paving the way for Frazier to earn first-team reps on the Steelers offense during their joint practice with the Buffalo Bills.

Just before Pittsburgh's second preseason game against the Bills on August 17, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Herbig suffered a 'significant shoulder injury' that will keep him out of action for an extended period of time.

After an impressive preseason debut against the Texans last week, we all wanted to see more of Frazier. The second-round pick out of West Virginia executed his assignments and already looked like a starter for the Steelers.

But Pittsburgh must be cautious moving forward.

Steelers can't risk injury to Zach Frazier

All of a sudden, Frazier is the only capable center on the team. Though Herbig took the blame for a pair of muffed snaps in the preseason opener, the Steelers would love to have him behind the rookie for depth purposes.

Now if Frazier gets hurt, the Steelers are in trouble. Do they shuffle their offensive line and try their luck with James Daniels at center (a position he played at Iowa before being drafted)? Do the Steelers deploy rookie fourth-round guard, Mason McCormick at the position and take their lumps? Do they sign Mason Cole, who started for them but underwhelmed in 2023? Or do they go with a third-string guy like Ryan McCollum?

Fans will be praying that Frazier can stay on the field so they don't have to see any of these scenarios play out. While Herbig may not have been a stud on the offensive line, the depth he offered at the center position certainly trumps what they have right now.

Because of Herbig's severe injury, the Steelers need to be cautious with how much they choose to deploy Zach Frazier the rest of the way. There's no question that at this point, the rookie is going to start at the center. Though Mike Tomlin is going to want to get his young center plenty of reps before the team's Week 1 game against the Falcons, they can't afford the injury risk to Frazier.

The Pittsburgh Steelers suddenly find themselves in a sticky situation, and their lack of depth at center is now an immediate concern. Don't be shocked if they add another center to their roster who can fill the void until Nate Herbig recovers from his shoulder injury.