The Steelers are betting everything on 2026. Aaron Rodgers is here for one last ride. The front office knows it. The locker room knows it. And if the offensive line plays the way it did last season, Pittsburgh might actually pull this off.
The guy getting the most buzz right now? Zach Frazier. The second-year center. The one still playing on a rookie contract. According to ESPN’s Ben Solak, Frazier’s 2025 season was as good as any center in football, and he’s only going to get better.
Solak didn’t hold back when talking about Frazier’s tape. He called him the best offensive lineman still on a rookie deal. That’s not nothing. The numbers back it up too. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Frazier allowed a QB pressure rate of just 2.7% last season. That was the best mark among all offensive linemen with at least 300 snaps. Solak acknowledged that centers get more double-team help than tackles, but Frazier still ranked fifth in one-on-one rate behind guys like Tyler Linderbaum and Aaron Brewer. The point is the Steelers trust him in isolation the way most teams only trust their highest-paid stars.
Pittsburgh ran the usual stuff last year — outside zone, inside zone, duo, power — at league-average rates. Nothing exotic. But Frazier’s ability to handle assignments without help is what separates him. And having Rodgers as his quarterback? Solak said that experience is already sharpening the mental side of his game.
Here’s the kicker: Solak said that of all the young players on his breakout list, Frazier is his bet to eventually become the best player at his position in the NFL. That’s a pretty direct statement from a national analyst who watches a lot of tape.
Look, the Steelers have a window. A narrow one. Rodgers turns 42 this season. The AFC is loaded. But if Frazier continues to play like a top-five center while earning a fraction of what those guys make, Pittsburgh has a massive edge in the trenches. And in football, that’s usually where Super Bowls get decided.
No one’s handing the Steelers anything. But if Frazier takes another step forward this fall, this offense could look very different than what people expect.
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