With training camp just around the corner, it’s time to turn our focus to what is going on within each position, and on the roster as a whole. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be taking a closer look at some of the roster battles that we expect to see unfold over the course of training camp as the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare for the start of the 2024 season.
This year will see more competition than usual, and at some major parts of the roster. Topping the list is the quarterback position, though there is vigorous debate about that competition’s legitimacy. Beyond that, there is some unfinished business at wide receiver, cornerback, and the offensive line. And there are plenty of roster spots to settle beyond the starting lineup, some of which could result in trades.
Position: Center
Up for Grabs: Starting Job
In the Mix: Nate Herbig, Zach Frazier
This may well be more of a competition than Steelers fans want it to be in training camp. Everyone expects the team to hand the job to rookie second-round pick Zach Frazier, but it is not doing that. Nate Herbig ran as the first-team center throughout spring practices and expect that to continue. Frazier will have to earn whatever first-team reps he gets before he begins to make headway.
The Steelers have struggled for years to adequately fill the center position since Maurkice Pouncey retired. They drafted Kendrick Green in 2021 hoping he was the answer and replaced him with Mason Cole when he wasn’t.
But Cole was not the answer either. The Steelers released him earlier this year after two seasons, long before training camp. While they drafted Zach Frazier in the second round, they also have Nate Herbig, whom they signed last year. Primarily a guard, he does know how to play center.
Obviously, the Steelers drafted Frazier because they plan for him to be their long-term starter. They will not play him, however, before he proves that he is ready, which is why they have Herbig. He may not be anybody’s first option, but he is a reliable veteran.
It would just be nice if we could feel more comfortable in that fact given his lack of meaningful center experience. While he has practiced the position for years, he hasn’t gotten many chances to play in it in meaningful games. The Steelers didn’t even use him at center in training camp last year, either.
Even if Herbig claims the Steelers’ starting center position, it is only a temporary job. He is keeping the seat warm for Frazier, who will eventually start. If it is not at the beginning of the 2024 season, it will probably be some other point before the year is through.
