Zach Frazier came to his first NFL training camp with the goal of becoming the starting center.
The rookie from the Pittsburgh Steelers will achieve that, even though it didn’t happen exactly as he had hoped.
Frazier, a second-round pick from West Virginia, moved up to the top of the depth chart on Tuesday after the Steelers placed veteran Nate Herbig on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
Herbig hurt his shoulder during the last day of training camp at Saint Vincent College last week and didn’t play in a 9-3 loss to Buffalo on Saturday. Frazier took over in Herbig’s place and was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise shaky performance by the offensive line.
Even though Frazier was always meant to be a long-term solution at a position that’s seen many changes since Maurkice Pouncey retired after the 2020 season, Frazier would have preferred to earn the starting job based on his play alone.
“I didn’t want to be a backup,” Frazier said. “I was going to shoot for earning that starting job. That’s just my mentality.”
The 22-year-old Frazier started 37 straight games for the Mountaineers, with his college games played just over an hour south of Pittsburgh. This closeness put him on the Steelers’ radar long before he became one of the top centers in the draft.
Guard James Daniels praised Frazier’s eagerness to learn, noting that the rookie is comfortable discussing ideas with his more experienced teammates. Frazier attributed his smooth transition to the NFL so far to Herbig, who took on the role of mentor knowing that Frazier would eventually take the starting spot.
“Honestly, in his position, he didn’t have to help me out at all,” Frazier said. “And, you know, I wouldn’t be as far as I am right now without him.”
Frazier has received high praise from the coaching staff for his work ethic. The Steelers need Frazier to start strong.
