It’s been a significant year for Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line injuries. During Week 6, another Steelers offensive line starter left with an injury in rookie center Zach Frazier.
On October 14, FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Frazier avoided structural damage to his ankle and is considered week-to-week.
“Source: Steelers rookie starting center Zach Frazier suffered an ankle injury on Sunday against the Raiders and is considered week-to-week,” Schultz wrote. “There’s no structural damage.”
“Frazier has started all six games this season and has posted an impressive 82.2 PFF grade.”
Social media reaction to Schultz’s report was a little mixed. A lot of fans found the fact Frazier has no structural damage as a huge positive.
“Great news,” one fan wrote. “He is the cornerstone of a developing offensive line.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to go out there this week,” wrote another fan.
Other fans were more negative about the fact Frazier could miss multiple games.
“Brutal news,” tweeted a fan.
“See ya after the bye king,” another fan tweeted with a sad face emoji.
Frazier exited Week 6 during the second half because of a left ankle injury. He needed assistance from two trainers to walk off the field.
DK Pittsburgh Sports’ Chris Halicke wrote on X that Frazier had a walking boot on his left foot after the game.
Steelers’ Zach Frazier Avoids Major Injury
It’s disappointing for the Steelers that they will be missing another piece of their offensive line for any length of time. But based on the initial injury, it is a positive Frazier won’t be out for several weeks.
The Steelers could still place him on injured reserve, but they didn’t do that when they made their slew of roster moves on October 14. That indicates there’s hope Frazier won’t need to miss four games.
Any IR stint requires a player to sit out at least four contests.
The Steelers will host the New York Jets and New York Giants over the next two weeks. Then they will have their bye during the first weekend of November.
A week-to-week designation likely means Frazier has little chance of playing in Week 7. If he sits out on October 20, then it might be prudent for the rookie center to also miss one more contest. That will allow Frazier to rest for two more weeks while sitting out just one additional game to ensure he doesn’t re-injury his ankle.
The Steelers drafted Frazier at No. 51 overall in the second round of the draft this past spring. He’s started every single game this season.
According to Pro Football Focus, Frazier has been Pittsburgh’s second-best performing offensive lineman this season. Through six weeks, PFF also has Frazier ranked as the fourth-best center in the NFL.
How the Steelers Replace Frazier
After Frazier’s exit, veteran Ryan McCollum replaced him at center for the rest of Week 6. It was McCollum’s first significant playing time of the 2024 season.
McCollum played one snap at left tackle during Week 4.
It’s very likely that McCollum will start while Frazier is sidelined. McCollum has started just one game in his NFL career.
He began as an undrafted free agent in the league after the 2021 draft. He spent his rookie training camp with the Houston Texans and then signed with the Detroit Lions.
In 2021, McCollum dressed for 13 contests and started at center during one game.
McCollum is currently Pittsburgh’s backup center because Steelers depth interior offensive lineman Nate Herbig suffered a season-ending injury during the preseason.
Before his snap for the Steelers in Week 4, McCollum hadn’t played in an NFL regular season contest since Week 18 of 2021.
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