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Steelers center Zach Frazier lands on ESPN's midseason first-team All-Pro list
ESPN's Bill Barnwell put Steelers center Zach Frazier on his midseason All-Pro first team ahead of Pittsburgh's trip to Cincinnati.
Zach Frazier now has a national case for being the best center in the NFL. ESPN's Bill Barnwell named the Pittsburgh Steelers center to his midseason All-Pro first team, SB Nation's Behind the Steel Curtain reported. The story was also carried by Yahoo Sports. Barnwell pointed to Kansas City's Creed Humphrey and his growing snapping problems, then wrote that Frazier "has emerged for me as the best center in football."
Other outlets have reached the same conclusion. The Sporting News also picked Frazier as the center on its midseason All-Pro team, DC News Now reported. PFF has him first among centers through nine weeks with a 79.5 overall grade. SB Nation added that Next Gen Stats charge him with one sack and four quick pressures allowed all season, and that he is among the top contenders for the Protector of the Year award.
The award matters most because of what it says about the line in front of the Steelers. For years that unit was a soft spot, and now it is driving the offense. Pittsburgh is averaging 117.9 rushing yards per game and has 943 on the season. That run game has carried Jaylen Warren's breakout. Frazier has started all eight games this year and 39 of his 40 career appearances since Pittsburgh drafted him 51st overall in 2024. He has one season left on his rookie deal and becomes eligible for an extension this offseason. His first half has made that conversation more expensive.
What it means for Cincinnati
Pittsburgh comes out of its bye at 6-2 with four straight wins. The most recent was a 27-6 win over Cleveland, after victories over New Orleans (16-10), Tampa Bay (26-19) and Indianapolis (34-22). The defense has held three of its last four opponents to 19 points or fewer. The two losses came on the road, 20-3 at New England and 27-24 at Cleveland.
Next is a Sunday night trip to Cincinnati on NBC on November 15. The Steelers already beat the Bengals 30-27 at home in the season's second month. The rematch will test Frazier and his line in a different way. Joe Burrow made PFF's midseason All-Pro team too, so Pittsburgh's best answer may be the same one it has leaned on all season: run the ball, control the clock and keep Burrow on the sideline.
The market leans the other way. Across the 11 venues on this site's board, Cincinnati is favored. Novig has the Bengals at -170 on the moneyline and the Steelers at +167, with Cincinnati laying 3.5 points (Pittsburgh +3.5 at -104). The total sits at 49.5 on Novig. Pinnacle has the best over price at 49, -111. The sportsbooks are fairly close to one another, with hold between 3.2% and 5.3% on the moneyline and 3.0% to 5.0% on the spread.
An early look at the following week has Pittsburgh favored at Philadelphia on November 22. Novig lists the Steelers at -212 and DraftKings has the best price at -198, with Pittsburgh giving 4.5 points. The total there is far lower, at 38.5.