After a very poor showing against the New England Patriots in Week 2, the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line is looking to bounce back this Sunday. The Steelers have the man in the middle to make that possible.
Third-year center Zach Frazier is now one of the more experienced players along the Pittsburgh offensive front. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers expressed the confidence he has in his center while speaking to reporters Wednesday.
“Zach [Frazier] is a great player,” said Rodgers. “He’s got a real bright future.
“It will be a good test for him this week going against a premier nose tackle.”
It’s a bigger test than what the Bengals presented opponents in previous years. Cincinnati acquired two-time second-team All-Pro defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence this offseason.
Lawrence has helped improved the Bengals defense, which is 2-0 behind a healthy Joe Burrow on the other side of the ball.
“He’s a load inside, but he’s not a slug in there,” Rodgers said of Lawrence. “He can really move. He’s a good pass rusher. He’s got good moves, good lateral quickness.
“He moves about as well as anybody in the league his size. So, he’s going to be a focal point for every team that plays him.”
Steelers’ Zach Frazier, Offensive Line Aiming to Rebound vs. Bengals
The Steelers offense scored only one offensive touchdown in the first two games of the 2026 campaign. The unit experienced a plethora of difficulties, but the offensive line was particularly an issue versus the New England Patriots last Sunday.
New England’s defense registered four sacks and seven quarterback hits. Rodgers was pummeled on one play, in particular, during the first half, which caused a fumble. Rodgers fumbled again in the second half, and the Patriots turned the loose ball for a touchdown.
The veteran quarterback, though, doesn’t see the bad game carrying over into this weekend.
“I’m not worried about their confidence,” Rodgers said of the offensive line. “To be a great team, you got to practice great, and so I just focus on how we’re practicing the communication during the week, and the protection meetings and the walkthroughs.
“We had a good start [Wednesday].”
The Steelers shuffled their offensive line this offseason. Those changes have yet to yield the results the team desired, but the linemen might just need more snaps in their new positions. At least, that’s what head coach Mike McCarthy said is the case to the media this week. But the head coach also didn’t rule out personnel changes.
Whether the Steelers make any lineup alterations to the offensive line or not, the unit will turn to Frazier in a pivotal early season AFC North matchup. Not only will Frazier be matched up against Lawrence a lot, but he’s the only starter who didn’t change positions for the Steelers offensive line this season.
He’s also made 33 NFL starts, which leads the group. Left guard Mason McCormick has also made 33 starts, but he mostly played right guard in his first two campaigns.
In Pittsburgh, fans have billed Frazier as the next great Steelers center. Those are high expectations for a franchise which once started Hall of Famer Mike Webster.
But it would go a very long way for the Steelers offensive line if Frazier could begin fulfilling those expectations in Week 3.
Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers Opens up on Zach Frazier, Offensive Line Before Bengals Game