The Pittsburgh Steelers were comfortable enough with Troy Fautanu’s health that they dressed him for the season opener. Although he did not play a snap, he was theoretically one snap away from being in the lineup. That’s exactly what he wanted and is hoping he gets to play this week.
“Man, I was ready to go”, Fautanu said on Wednesday, via the Steelers’ website. “I was kind of waiting for them to call my number, waiting to get in and get some reps out there. It didn’t happen, but the only thing that’s important is that we got the win. So I’m super excited for whatever comes soon”.
Fautanu also said that he was kind of hoping he would have the chance to play, stopping short of wishing for injuries, for obvious reasons. One significant note is that he said he had “not really” worked at all as a tackle-eligible tight end. If he doesn’t start, that will make it very difficult for him to get on the field.
But all he needs now is an opportunity. “I know I’m ready”, Fautanu told reporters. “The biggest thing for me was confidence”, which he established last week. He called Week 1 basically a ramp-up week, but “This week, I’m hitting the ground running”.
Fautanu took both first- and second-team reps at right tackle yesterday, where he would start. It is crucial to note, however, that starting LT Dan Moore Jr. did not practice due to injury. He is not dealing with a significant injury, so he could return to the field at any time.
On that subject, it is worth noting that Broderick Jones started one game early in the season last year for an injured Moore. He played well, but the Steelers still reinserted Moore at left tackle. So even if Moore misses a game, that doesn’t mean Fautanu is suddenly a full-time starter.
Yet reports indicated the Steelers planned to start Fautanu at the beginning of the season. After he sprained his MCL in the preseason opener, they had to adapt. Since then, Jones had been stuck at right tackle, but he got to take reps at left tackle yesterday.
The 20th-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Troy Fautanu is a very seasoned offensive lineman for a rookie. Although he played at left tackle in college, he seemed to adapt well to the right side in Pittsburgh.
Ideally, the Steelers would like to move Broderick Jones to left tackle when Troy Fautanu takes over at right tackle. But would they wait until Jones is ready to make that switch? Or would they sit him for Fautanu’s sake and let him try to beat out Moore week to week?
Now that Fautanu is back practicing in a full capacity we can at least start having those conversations. The Steelers invested two first-round picks on offensive tackles over the past two years for a reason. And it wasn’t to play an expensive game of musical chairs.
