The Pittsburgh Steelers signed rookie C Zach Frazier to his first NFL contract a few days ago and now that it has been filed with the NFLPA, we have some particular and important details to pass along.
For starters, we already knew the rough outline for Frazier’s deal way ahead of time thanks to the NFL’s slotting system for draft picks. As expected, Frazier’s four-year contract totals out to $7,544,214 and includes a signing bonus of $2,306,700. Frazier’s cap charge for his rookie 2024 season is $1,371,675.
One of the real unknowns ahead of Frazier signing his rookie contract was the amount of guaranteed money the West Virginia product would receive in 2026, the third year of his deal. That amount and the negotiation of it is likely what led to Frazier being the last Steelers draft pick to sign this year.
According to Over the Cap, Frazier has 54 percent of his Year-3 money guaranteed. Specifically, $799,653 of his $1,480,838 base salary in 2026. Frazier, as expected, has fully guaranteed money in the first two years of his rookie contract as well. In total, $5,039,272 of Frazier’s rookie contract is fully guaranteed. That’s 66.8 percent of his entire deal.
In summation, that’s certainly not a bad negotiation from Frazier’s side, especially when the 51st overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, Miami Dolphins CB Cam Smith, failed to receive any Year-3 guaranteed money in his four-year rookie contract.
Zach Frazier is expected to be the Steelers’ starting center by the start of the 2024 regular season.
