Pittsburgh Steelers C Zach Frazier emerged as one of the best centers in the NFL as a rookie, and he did so while playing through pain. Speaking to reporters during Pittsburgh’s mandatory minicamp, offensive line coach Pat Meyer revealed that Frazier, who missed two games with an ankle injury, was dealing with an injury over the “last four or five” weeks of the season.
“These guys are getting banged up on every play. I know down the end, like I think Zach [Frazier] had an ankle for the last four or five weeks. It’s stuff that you’re gonna deal with,” Meyer said via Post-Gazette Sports on YouTube.
Frazier was never listed on the team’s injury report, and it’s likely the injury was more in the nature of the bumps and bruises that every player deals with throughout the course of the season rather than anything significant. Still, it’s notable for Meyer to mention it, and it’s worth wondering whether it was the same ankle that Frazier injured in Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders that caused him to miss the next two games.
There’s nothing indicating that Frazier’s ankle will be a problem long-term, but two ankle injuries in the same season is worth noting. At Mike Tomlin’s end of season press conference, he said that Pittsburgh’s young offensive line, which also featured rookie OG Mason McCormick, may have gotten tired by the end of the year which led to some struggles. If Frazier was playing through pain, that could be more of a reason for his dip in play toward the end of the season.
Frazier didn’t even really struggle all that much toward the end of the season, but his worst game came in Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles, according to PFF. A rookie going up against Philadelphia’s menacing defensive front led by Jalen Carter doesn’t make that much of a surprise, and there isn’t really any concern for Frazier heading into 2025. But if he was hurt late in the year, then having him back healthy is going to raise his ceiling a lot higher.
PFF recently named Zach Frazier the third-best center in the NFL, and if he’s healthy for a full season and isn’t playing through an injury, there’s a real chance he can ascend to that No. 1 spot. Pittsburgh’s been missing a legitimate starter at center ever since Maurkice Pouncey retired. Frazier seems like he could be next in line to continue Pittsburgh’s proud tradition of star centers.
