The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the bye week on a four-game winning streak. They will have a tough task in the back half of the schedule as they look to prove that this stretch is truly who they are, as opposed to the streak being just being a fluke run against lesser competition. If the team gets too confident, there will be plenty of teams ready to pounce at the opportunity to steal a win. Pittsburgh has a legitimate opportunity to be a threat in the AFC with the right decisions.
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Steelers offensive lineman Mason McCormick (66) and Zach Frazier (54) protecting quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) in a win against the Browns in November 2026.
One of the things that makes this team feel legitimate is the absolute dominance in the run game. Every week, there is a new stat coming out about how Jaylen Warren is running all over the NFL. He's finally getting the snap count and respect that he deserves, which is problematic for the rest of the NFL. Rico Dowdle has also played well behind him when healthy, as those two players are arguably the biggest reason the Steelers are moving the football with authority.
They can't make this offense work by themselves, though. This offensive line has been making life easy on the running backs, especially up the middle. While making an appearance on Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, former quarterback Charlie Batch brought up Zach Frazier in particular and gave his advice to General Manager Omar Khan on that front.
"If I'm Omar Khan right now, I'm figuring out a way to, when this season is over, immediately sign [Zach Frazier] and locking him in," Batch said. "Because the longer you wait, the higher the price is going to be."
Frazier's dominance is also one to not be overlooked. He has recently been drawing comparisons to guys like Maurkice Pouncey with how well he has done in his three years in the NFL so far. His great physical performance has been known since his time in college, but his growth as a leader is one that can't be measured. There is no draft pick or monetary value that can say just how important the center is to this team.
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Pittsburgh Steelers center Zach Frazier (54) makes a call against the Green Bay Packers during the first half of a preseason game at Acrisure Stadium.
Batch's former teammate, Ben Roethlisberger, continued on with what he said as he has also been a huge fan of everything Frazier has done so far.
"Lock him up, yes," Roethlisberger said. "No doubt about it. He's one that you want to get done and have around for a long time... I agree with you on him and the line, just super excited."
Roethlisberger joked about trying to sign Frazier to an eight-year deal, but that shows how important he is. His growth and maturation not only make him better, but the entire offense as well. There is very little experience on the offensive line, so everyone in the position group is looking up to him.
Steelers' Immediate Future Hinges On Frazier Being Signed
Speaking of quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers is retiring after the 2026 season. The most likely scenario is that a young, inexperienced passer will be the Week 1 starter in 2027. Whether it's Will Howard, Drew Allar, or someone else, all these gunslingers will have to develop a relationship with Frazier throughout the offseason and training camp to limit all the possible miscommunications once the season begins.
It's going to be very hard for that to happen if Khan does not sign Frazier early in the offseason. There are times to try to play hard-ball and negotiate a player down as far as possible, but this is not that time. Every practice that the star center holds-in for makes it that much harder for the Steelers to be a real threat with the change at quarterback. Pittsburgh should give him the guarantees that he wants with no questions asked.
What do you think about Charlie Batch and Ben Roethlisberger urging Omar Khan to sign Zach Frazier? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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