Pittsburgh Steelers rookie offensive tackle Troy Fautanu is receiving multiple opinions on the status of his injured knee that will shelve him for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The injury seems poised to hold him out for much longer than a single contest.
Per the PPG’s Gerry Dulac, Fautanu is receiving “several independent evaluations” on his knee. As Dulac notes, that generally isn’t viewed as a positive sign.
It’s worth noting center Nate Herbig received a second opinion on the shoulder he injured during training camp. The diagnosis was the same and Herbig was lost for the season. The fact that Fautanu and the team are searching for outside opinions may mean he’s trying to avoid the same fate.
Troy Fautanu has suffered two knee injuries over the last six weeks. He initially sprained his MCL in the Steelers’ preseason opener against the Houston Texans. Though he attempted to play through the injury, the team pulled him at halftime and sidelined Fautanu for the rest of the preseason. He returned to practice before the regular season opener and dressed against the Atlanta Falcons, though he didn’t play. He backed up Dan Moore Jr. and Broderick Jones at tackle.
Fautanu split first-team practice reps with Jones ahead of the Steelers’ Week 2 game against the Denver Broncos. Fautanu received the start in what was a planned rotation between both players. Jones entered on the third series but was benched mid-drive after committing three penalties. Fautanu replaced him and finished out the game.
Since falling to him at No. 20, the Steelers have been high on Fautanu’s future and fast-tracked him into the starting lineup despite the summer injury that would’ve hindered many other rookies’ development. Now, injuries have become his biggest hurdle.
With Fautanu out this week and likely more, Jones will resume his spot as the starting right tackle for the Steelers. He’ll be tasked with slowing down the dynamic Chargers’ duo of Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa on the edges. They have combined for 3.5 of the team’s six sacks through the season’s first two games.
