Just a few days into training camp, the Washington Commanders found out that one of their veteran players no longer planned to be a part of the team. On Tuesday morning, the veteran offensive lineman Nate Herbig told the team he would be retiring.
The Commanders announced on Tuesday that they have placed Herbig on the reserve/retired list.
Herbig’s departure comes as a shock. The guard is just 27 years old and didn’t seem to be trending towards retirement when the offseason activities started up. In fact, he just signed with the Commanders to navigate through the 2025 NFL season with the team that just made an NFC Championship run.
Herbig hails from Hawaii and played his college ball at Stanford. He was a standout for three seasons and decided to enter the 2019 NFL Draft. There seemed to be a good chance Herbig could get selected in the later rounds, but he ended up going undrafted.
Washington’s rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, gave Herbig his first opportunity in the league. He signed with the team as an undrafted free agent and made the final roster for the 2019 NFL season. He would see the field for two games during his rookie effort.
Throughout the 2020 NFL season, Herbig played a notable role for the Eagles. He appeared in 15 games, picking up 12 starts in those matchups. While he didn’t become a full-time starter for the Eagles, he remained a go-to backup at the guard position throughout the remainder of his time in Philadelphia.
By 2022, Herbig ended up on the New York Jets after getting waived by the Eagles. He was a starter for 11 games. At the end of the year, Herbig was placed on the injured reserve before hitting the free agency market. Ahead of the 2023 NFL season, Herbig signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Last summer, heading into his second season with the Steelers, Herbig suffered an unfortunate setback. After learning he was dealing with a torn rotator cuff, Herbig’s season concluded before it even started. He wouldn’t play out the final deal of his Steelers contract.
If Herbig decides to reverse his situation sometime soon, the Commanders could make room for him. For the time being, the 27-year-old veteran doesn’t plan to play.
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