There’s been a lot of hype around Pittsburgh Steelers C Zach Frazier this offseason. Through two seasons, he’s been one of the best centers in the league. By the end of the year, NFL Media’s Kevin Patra believes Frazier could be the best.
In an article picking each AFC team’s non-QB MVP, Patra went with Frazier.
“While there were plenty of options, I kept returning to Frazier, who is on an upward trajectory,” Patra wrote. “His mauling style meshes well with how the Steelers want to run the ball, and his pass protection is as efficient as it gets for young blockers. There is a real possibility that by year’s end we’re discussing Frazier as the best center in the NFL.”
Patra isn’t the first analyst to believe Frazier has the upside to be the best center in the league. ESPN’s Ben Solak named Frazier a breakout candidate earlier this offseason and wrote that he could “eventually” become the best center in the game.
If that happens this season, it’ll be great news for the Steelers’ offense. The offensive line has real potential to be one of the team’s biggest strengths, even with Mike McCarthy and Co. reshuffling the unit. Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick seem primed to flip sides, leaving Frazier as the only 2025 starter in the same position he played in 2026.
With that being the case, he’s going to need to take on more of a leadership role, and entering his third year as a starter, he may wind up being the longest-tenured Steelers starter along the offensive line. Part of the same draft class as Fautanu and McCormick, Frazier has started all but two games in his career. He’ll need to acclimate to a new right guard and help lead the interior of the offensive line, but Frazier has shown a lot of potential so far.
It was telling that Frazier received votes from ESPN’s panel of scouts, executives and coaches as one of the best interior offensive linemen in football. He’s undoubtedly already among the best centers, and a leap to the top this year could mean big things for his future. Frazier will likely be looking for a contract extension next offseason, and if he can elevate his game and become a true leader for the offensive line, the Steelers could pay him at or close to the top of the rising center market.
A strong season would go a long way toward elevating the Steelers’ offense, and it would help Frazier cash in on a market that was reset by Tyler Linderbaum this offseason. It would be a win-win for both sides. Frazier has already done a good job of continuing Pittsburgh’s tradition of having a core player at center, and taking his game to another level should put the Steelers’ offensive line in conversations of the league’s best.