LAS VEGAS – Pittsburgh Steelers rookie center Zach Frazier suffered a left ankle injury late in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders. He is doubtful to return.
Frazier was blocking on a run play and got rolled up on. He was helped to his feet and walked off with some assistance. Evan Washburn said on the CBS broadcast that Frazier took some snaps with Russell Wilson on the sideline and wanted to go back in, but the medical staff wanted to get a further evaluation in the locker room.
Ryan McCollum replaced Frazier at center. On the first play after Frazier’s injury, Najee Harris rushed for a 37-yard touchdown off the left side on a toss to advance the Steelers’ lead to 22-7.
In a recent ESPN poll, Frazier ranked sixth among all NFL rookies. The poll took the opinion of five NFL analysts, including ESPN NFL draft analyst Jordan Reid.
“Entering the 2024 draft, it was clear that the Steelers had a huge need at center after releasing Mason Cole in January,” Reid wrote in the poll.
“Pittsburgh found that immediate answer in the second round, as Frazier has arguably been the best rookie offensive lineman of this class. In five starts, Frazier has the 20th-best PBWR (pass block win-rate). The instincts, strength, and toughness he showcased at West Virginia have all carried over early in his pro career.”
McCollum was on the Steelers practice squad for a majority of the 2023 season. McCollum was released as a part of the team’s final roster cuts but re-joined the team’s practice squad after Week 1. He was elevated once for the team’s Week 5 game against the Baltimore Ravens.
McCollum went undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft but caught on with the Houston Texans and landed on their practice squad. The Detroit Lions claimed McCollum off of the Texans practice squad and he was on the active roster for 13 games as a rookie. He started one game for the Lions and played 100 of his 101 snaps at center.
In 2022, McCollum joined the Steelers and have been on and off of the practice squad since then.
