Steelers place erstwhile starting center Nate Herbig on IR, likely ending his season

Many observers expected Nate Herbig to, ultimately, cede the job of Pittsburgh Steelers starting center at some point late during this preseason. Few could have predicted it would have happened under such unfortunate circumstances.

Herbig was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, likely ending his season before it started. A six-year NFL veteran making $4 million in salary in 2024, Herbig had been practicing with the first-team offense throughout the summer and training camp in addition to the Steelers’ preseason opener.

But late during practice on the final day of training camp at Saint Vincent College last week, Herbig suffered a shoulder injury that — barring an unforeseen circumstance — will prevent him from playing in 2024.

That clears a path for rookie second-round pick Zach Frazier to start the season opener. The only other player on the roster with appreciable experience at center is Ryan McCollum. McCollum has not appeared in an NFL regular-season game since 2021 and spent all of last season on the Steelers practice squad.

Frazier, a four-year starter at center for West Virginia, started the Steelers’ most recent preseason game this past Saturday. The Steelers in February released their starting center for the past two seasons, Mason Cole.

“He’s mature beyond his football years,” coach Mike Tomlin said of Frazier. “He’s highly competitive, he’s got really good leverage. Obviously, there’s a lot of growth ahead of him, but he’s got a little time to do it, and so we’ll just keep working day by day.”

Averett cut

Also Tuesday, the Steelers released veteran cornerback Anthony Averett. A veteran of six NFL seasons and former starter with the Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders, Averett missed all of last season because of injury and was signed by the Steelers off a tryout at their rookie minicamp in May.

Averett, 29, began training camp on the second-team defense but was passed on the depth chart at outside cornerback by Cory Trice and Darius Rush.

2 added

In the corresponding moves, the Steelers on Tuesday signed inside linebacker Kyahva Tezino and defensive lineman Marcus Haynes.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Haynes is joining his fourth NFL organization since signing with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Old Dominion in 2023. He most recently was with the Cleveland Browns for six days earlier this month.

Tezino (6-0, 235) has no NFL regular-season experience. He was the leading tackler of the Pittsburgh Maulers of the USFL in 2022 and 2023. He was part of the San Francisco 49ers preseason roster last year and was the leading tackler for the UFL champion Birmingham Stallions this past spring.