For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the news that experienced offensive lineman Nate Herbig will end the season due to a shoulder injury was a major blow.

Herbig, who signed a two-year contract as a free agent before the 2023 season, was considered a good, versatile addition to the trenches last season. This season, he competed with rookie Zach Frazier for the starting center position.

However, his injury puts him out of action for the rest of the season and allows the Frazier era to compete for the Black and Gold sooner than many expected.

While Frazier didn’t set out to earn the role, he now has the job for himself. While he’s happy to be the starter, he’s disappointed that it came at the expense of Herbig, who was a great mentor to him during the offseason and training camp.

Frazier, who spoke to the media on Tuesday, therefore expressed his appreciation for Herbig’s mentorship.

“I wouldn’t wish this on anyone and I would feel really bad for Nate. But he really helped me out a lot. And, you know, honestly, in his position, he wouldn’t have had to help me at all,” Frazier told reporters, according to a video posted on Twitter by YardBarker’s Aaron Becker. “And I wouldn’t have gotten this far without him. So yeah, I’m really thankful for him and he’s still there, still helping me, still giving me pointers and tips, which of course he doesn’t have to do.

“I’m really grateful to him. And I’m just going to put my head down, work and do everything. I’m doing everything I can.”

It’s very cool that Herbig and Frazier have built a great relationship in such a short period of time and that the two worked well together despite battling for the starting spot. That’s the mark of a great teammate and by all accounts, that’s exactly what Herbig is.

It’s a shame his season is over because it hurts the Steelers’ depth, whether he earned the starting spot or was just a backup. Without his versatility and experience behind the starters, the Steelers are worse off, even with rookie Mason McCormick and second-year pro Spencer Anderson on the team.

While those are two solid players, the loss of Herbig is a huge blow on and off the field, especially for a young player like Frazier who truly respected and admired his mentorship. However, it sounds like Herbig will stick around for the entire season, which is a positive for Frazier at least.

Hopefully, the West Virginia product has taken some of Herbig’s advice to heart and can implement it on the field, where he can be counted on to play a key role for the Steelers not only this season, but well into the future.