How serious is Zach Frazier’s injury?
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie C Zach Frazier exited Sunday’s game with what the team classified as an ankle injury. A defender rolled up on him in the late stages of the third quarter and he quickly exited the game. While the Steelers initially listed him as questionable to return, they downgraded him to doubtful, but he remained out.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin could not offer much about Frazier after the game beyond confirming their view of an ankle injury and that they would further evaluate it. Nobody who had any connection with the team sounded any major alarms. You might have seen some Twitter doctor or two offer a more worrying take, but they have no direct knowledge.
Generally speaking, serious injuries generate some kind of news by now, with news leaking overnight. It’s possible that the Steelers may have waited to get back to Pittsburgh to put Zach Frazier through some confirmation tests, but we’ll have to see where things go.
Frazier has been arguably the Steelers’ best offensive lineman, a day-one starter who played every snap up to his injury. They went out this offseason looking like the next great Steelers, and they may have found him. But the question is when they will see him on the field again.
I don’t imagine it will be too long, but the Steelers have two games before their bye. Will Zach Frazier return to the fold over the course of the next two weeks? Just by the look on his face when the injury occurred, I wouldn’t be surprised if he misses some time. But that’s a completely unqualified assessment, so that doesn’t really matter, does it?
If the Steelers are without Zach Frazier for some time, they will likely turn to Ryan McCollum, who filled in for the final 20 minutes. He functioned as well as one could reasonably expect, which he should, already having years in the system. Spencer Anderson would be the backup center, but they would definitely have to add somebody.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Will Russell Wilson regain his job when he is healthy, or is Justin Fields stealing it? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
