The Pittsburgh Steelers have an opening on their offensive line after Max Scharping’s season-ending injury last week. A new name has become a possible option for them; according to the NFL transaction log, Nate Herbig was in for a tryout today.
Nate Herbig, brother of Steelers OLB Nick Herbig, was with the team in 2023 and 2024. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending rotator cuff injury at the end of last year’s training camp.
He briefly signed with the Washington Commanders this past March, but they added him to the Reserve/Retired list in July.
“It was a personal decision. He was a great teammate here,” Commanders HC Dan Quinn said at the time.
The NFL’s transaction log on Monday showed him being terminated from the Reserve/Retired list in Washington. This procedural move made him free to sign elsewhere.
Herbig is familiar with all of the Steelers’ offensive linemen and their offensive line coach, Pat Meyer. If he’s healthy, in shape, and motivated to keep playing, he could easily add interior depth for Pittsburgh.
Herbig can play guard or center, and was the frontrunner to start the 2024 season at center. He held this position up until an injury derailed his season, and rookie Zach Frazier took over. He played 156 snaps for the Steelers in 2023, with 31 coming at left guard and 125 at right guard. Currently, Ryan McCollum is the primary backup center, and Spencer Anderson is the primary backup guard. Still, Herbig would be a cheap, experienced option that could plug right in if needed.
In his career, Herbig has started 30 games for the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, and Steelers.
Pittsburgh tried out five other offensive linemen at the end of last week, but signed none. The roster has had an open spot since they placed Scharping on IR. They could potentially add him to the practice squad while he gets up to speed, with Steven Jones and Dylan Cook being viable options to sign to the active roster.
