Shock retirement hits Commanders and raises serious depth questions

The Washington Commanders gave Nate Herbig a chance to resurrect his career this offseason. But unfortunately for the offensive lineman, there was no longer the motivation needed to compete.

Head coach Dan Quinn announced before Tuesday's camp practice that the Commanders had placed Herbig on the reserve/retired list, abruptly ending his comeback story. The former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator acknowledged that the versatile interior presence had been a good teammate during his short time with the franchise, and everyone wishes him well with his future endeavors.

Herbig was an intriguing offseason addition. He missed the entire 2024 campaign with a torn rotator cuff that required significant rehabilitation. This saw the Pittsburgh Steelers go in a different direction, but the Commanders were confident he could be a major upgrade to their offensive line depth if nothing else.

Commanders must pivot after Nate Herbig's shock retirement during camp

Everything seemingly checked out medically, and the initial reports were positive about Herbig's early integration. However, the player has now decided that the juice is no longer worth the squeeze.

This represents a slight blow to the Commanders. Herbig was expected to fill the backup role behind starting center Tyler Biadasz if everything went well. He can also provide relief at the guard positions, especially considering Sam Cosmi is currently out as he recovers from a torn ACL. Now, those in power must pivot accordingly.

Washington still has players like Chris Paul, Michael Deiter, and Julian Good-Jones to pick up the slack. But it's not hard to see where the problems could arise if the Commanders suffer another injury along the interior.

Adam Peters needs to get another capable performer into the mix, preferably one with scheme familiarity at this stage of preparations for the upcoming campaign. This is yet another curveball the general manager needs to deal with, but he's more than capable of finding a successful resolution to this new complication.

As for Herbig? The motivation to play has apparently gone. It might return at some stage, but whether it's the pain of his previously torn rotator cuff rearing its head or something else, that won't be with the Commanders.

It's an unfortunate development. What's important for the Commanders is ensuring this doesn't have a ripple effect.

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