Many usb3+ header ports on motherboards are built flimsy. Please take extra care when connecting/disconnecting them and do it as little as possible. Connect once, disconnect never if possible.

Normal wear and tear? That's not normal and you're apparently not qualified to plug in delicate connections. 100% Operator error.

In all my years building custom pcs and repairs I’ve never seen a usb header only bend 1 pin without hasty removal or incorrect orientation on insertion. Though I have seen a few times single pins pull out with the cable from friction. A single bent pin in a header like this is a bit suspect.

No. Just no to this whole report. That port isn't built or designed for repeatedly plugging and unplugging a connector. It's a once a year port, if that, for inspection, and cleaning if required. Justification: there's no plastic protrusions around the housing to align the tabs for hap-hazard user interfacing with the port. The keying on the connector is not for alignment, it's to prevent reverse installation, ie, it's Poke-Yoked (yes, this is a real term used in engineering) to ensure a singular install direction. The pins are not supported with extra plastic to correct and protect against alignment errors by the user. Example of port intended for multiple connect/disconnect cycles, SATA3 power or data cables. The pins are interior to the plug and port, both sides are supported by and aligned with plastic tabs. Clip to ensure secure connection and seating upon each use and to prevent the connector from falling out if plastic wear has occurred. Just because your onboard ethernet goes out doesn't mean the board is bricked. There's 2 x16 and 2 x4 PCIE slots on that board. One of those x4 could easily be fit with a replacement NIC. Moreover, one of the 8 USB ports integrated into the backplane can be filled with a USB to RJ45 network card or a USB Wi-Fi card. Experience Level: Embedded Systems Electrical Engineer for consumer electronics. PC enthusiast and 20+ years of building PCs.

The plastic surrounding the pins usually can get pulled out and the pin fixed. Although requires a bit of patience and soldering skills.