Steelers believe center Zach Frazier ready to handle challenge of starting as a rookie (2024)

Aug. 19—In interview settings, Zach Frazier is a man of few words. If he were paid by the sentence, he wouldn't be able to afford a cup of convenience store coffee.

Frazier is polite, courteous and professional around reporters. He also is uncomfortable.

A sampling from the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie center after his first career start Saturday against Buffalo:

How do you evaluate your performance?

"I'm always going to be hard on myself. Definitely had some good plays, definitely had some things I need to clean up."

How was the snapping component?

"Everything went well, communication was smooth. All the snaps were smooth."

Was that the focus going into the game?

"Definitely, that's the goal, 100%."

Were you making the calls out there?

"Yeah."

Were you comfortable doing that?

"Yeah."

Thankfully for the Steelers, they are paying Frazier to occupy the middle of the offensive line and not do public speaking for a living. And based on the early returns, his actions are speaking volumes.

Frazier was on a path toward potentially earning the starting center position before Nate Herbig suffered a shoulder injury in practice last week. With Herbig out of the picture — he reportedly has a torn rotator cuff that would keep him out indefinitely — Frazier's status as the starter in Week 1 at Atlanta has been cemented.

The man who handled some of the snaps from Frazier in the second preseason game believes the rookie is ready for the assignment.

"What has been awesome about Zach is he's played a lot of football," quarterback Russell Wilson said after the Steelers' 9-3 loss to the Bills. "He's played so many games. He started at the highest level in college."

A three-time team captain at West Virginia, Frazier started 46 of 47 games, including 37 in a row. His ability to handle defenders and provide push up the middle for running backs is what enticed the Steelers to select Frazier in the second round of the draft.

"He was right in our backyard," assistant general manager Andy Weidl said. "We had a comfort level."

Entering the draft, the Steelers had a massive hole at center. They released two-year starter Mason Cole in February, then didn't replace him in free agency. Herbig was anointed the presumptive starter despite having most of his NFL experience come at guard.

Frazier was the third center taken in the draft, following Graham Barton in the first round and Jackson Powers-Johnson earlier in the second. Holding the No. 51 pick, the Steelers were hoping Frazier would slide to them.

"Getting to know the kid during a school visit, the makeup, he's got a special football character to him," Weidl said. "We took all those guys into account. They're good centers. ... We felt he was one of the better ones, and we were just fortunate to get him where we got him."

The Steelers liked Frazier's maturity. He turns 23 later this month, and he has been married since May 2023.

"He's such a hard worker," Wilson said, "and that's rare to find as a rookie: guys that have such professionalism and an elite level of focus. He has elite focus. He did a great job tonight. He made a lot of great calls."

The Steelers got a taste of how Frazier might fit as a starter two days earlier in a joint practice with Buffalo. With Herbig sidelined, Frazier took all the snaps with the first-team line. And for someone who is so unassuming outside the huddle, Frazier took command when he was immersed in it.

"Zach was loud, he was talking, he was snapping the ball the right way," right tackle Broderick Jones said after the joint practice. "I don't think he had any errors, and that was the big emphasis for us on the O-line, making sure the quarterback gets the ball in his hands."

Frazier was on the field for 44 snaps Saturday night against Buffalo, more than any Steelers offensive or defensive player. He stayed in the game after Justin Fields replaced Wilson and played eight of the Steelers' 10 series.

Wilson was sacked three times, with much of the pressure coming from the left edge. The Steelers also had difficulty running the ball and generating any rhythm as evidenced by the offense totaling two first downs through six drives.

Still, Frazier displayed some intangibles that could make him better suited to start than, say, Kendrick Green as a rookie in 2021.

"I thought he was composed. He didn't blink," Wilson said. "Anytime you're playing with a rookie center, you're playing with younger players. It's the eye contact in the huddle that you see and what does that feel like. Does a guy blink or not? Is he fearful? He's got none of that. He has no fear. I'm really excited where he's going to go."

Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.

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