Pittsburgh Steelers’ veteran center/guard Nate Herbig, who has been in a competition for the starting center position all offseason with rookie Zach Frazier, left practice early Wednesday on the final day of training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe with an apparent injury.
Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora was at practice and reported that Herbig was getting what appeared to be his left arm looked at before leaving practice and walking up the hill to the facility, ending his day.
Herbig has been slotted in as the starting center all offseason and remained listed as the starting center on the Steelers’ depth chart ahead of the preseason Week Two matchup against the Buffalo Bills, ahead of Frazier.
The veteran signed a two-year deal last year as a free agent, providing the Steelers with solid, experienced depth on the interior of the offensive line, and then ascended into the starting center job this offseason after the Steelers cut veteran Mason Cole.
Pittsburgh later drafted Frazier in the second round, but Herbig quietly had a strong training camp to date, keeping himself in the top spot at the pivot. Though he had some snapping issues in the preseason opener against the Texans, resulting in two fumbles that the Steelers were fortunate to recover, Herbig has remained in the top spot.
Wednesday’s injury could change that, depending on the severity and seriousness of the injury.
Herbig played nine snaps in the preseason opener before giving way to Frazier. He graded out at a 60.2 overall from Pro Football Focus, including a 76.2 as a pass blocker and a 58.4 as a run blocker.
We’ll wait for the Steelers’ head coach, Mike Tomlin, to provide an update following practice.
