The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted OT Troy Fautanu in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but he’s slated to open the regular season on the bench after suffering a knee injury in Pittsburgh’s preseason opener. Dan Moore Jr. will likely open the season as the starter at left tackle with Broderick Jones at left tackle, but Steelers insider Mark Kaboly thinks Fautanu will get his opportunity to start at the “first sign” of Moore struggling.
“He needs some reps right now. He’s still a rookie. So Dan Moore has been relatively quiet all offseason, which means he hasn’t stunk enough for you to notice him. I don’t know if that’s a term of endearment or what it is. So as long as he’s solid, I think he’s in there. But the first chance, the first sign of breaking down, I think they’ll go with Fautanu,” Kaboly said on The PM Team on 93.7 The Fan.
The Steelers’ plan is for Jones to play left tackle and Fautanu to play right tackle, so if Moore does struggle, the Steelers can shift Jones to the left side and insert Fautanu at right tackle. With the team drafting offensive tackles in Jones and Fautanu in the first round back-to-back years, it’s clear the two of them are the future bookends along the offensive line for the Steelers. It seems as if it’s only a matter of time before both are starting for Pittsburgh.
Kaboly added that he didn’t think a switch would happen in-game.
“They’re not gonna yank a guy mid-game,” he said.
Making a switch mid-game is even more tricky considering that Jones would presumably have to shift from right tackle to left tackle, which wouldn’t be an easy adjustment to make during a game. It would take some time in practice to re-acclimate to the position, especially since the Steelers have moved him around in the preseason and training camp.
It sounds as if the Steelers want to get Fautanu in action soon, but after missing time in practice and the preseason, and only taking his first live reps in a month on Wednesday, it’s too early for him to start. If Moore plays well, that’ll be a positive for Pittsburgh and the team won’t pull him in that case just to start Fautanu. But if he does struggle, it seems like the team won’t delay in switching their offensive line alignment and will get Fautanu in the starting lineup.
It’ll be an interesting development to watch early in the season with Moore on a short leash, and especially with offensive line play being crucial in front of two quarterbacks who have a penchant for taking sacks and a team that wants to establish the ground game. Moore will need to get off to a good start to keep his starting job.
