'I am serious about it' -- Nate Herbig applies himself to being Steelers starting center

Spend any time in the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room, and you quickly will find out one of the most gregarious players apt to frequently joke with teammates is veteran offensive lineman Nate Herbig.

But when it comes to the new and higher-profile duties he has been handling this summer, Herbig sees it as no laughing matter.

“I understand what comes with it,” Herbig said of running as the first-team center over organized team activities, minicamp and the first three practices of training camp. “I understand my responsibility to the offense, to the offensive line to the team in general, so I don’t take that lightly.

“I am serious about it. I am going to my best to make sure we are all on the same page and things are running smoothly.”

Most outsiders believe second-round pick Zach Frazier ultimately will take over as the starting center — and that could happen at some point. But Herbig has held onto the gig, on paper, from the time two-year Steelers starting center Mason Cole was released in February through mid-May and then while taking live reps since the Steelers began on-field work in OTAs.

“I’m just doing my job,” Herbig said, understatedly.

But is he excited about an opportunity to enter a season as a starter for only the second time over his six years in the NFL?

“Wherever they tell me to play, whatever position, I’m gonna do my best. All I really care about is winning football games and just trying to be a better version of myself so that I can help the team. Wherever they have me playing, that’s where I’ll be.”

Herbig has played much more guard over an NFL career that began in 2019 with Philadelphia and included 11 starts for the 2022 Jets before he joined the Steelers via a two-year, $8 million contract last year. Herbig made two starts in place of injured right guard James Daniels last season and filled in for a December game against Arizona in lieu of injured left guard Isaac Seumalo.

Herbig has played 48 snaps at center in his NFL career, none since 2021. But he said that in the role he’s frequently filled in the NFL as a team’s top interior line backup Herbig “every day” has been taking snaps at practice.

“Even when I was younger with the Eagles I was the backup center, and even though my primary focus was on guard I would always take snaps every day,” Herbig said, “and I have been doing that throughout my career. So I feel very comfortable snapping the ball.”

Time will tell if Herbig fends off Frazier — a four-year starter at West Virginia — as camp moves on and through the preseason and 17-game regular season. But for now, Herbig each day is at the literal center of the Steelers’ first-team offense.

“I’m excited to be out there,” he said. “Excited to play ball.”