After starting in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Troy Fautanu is now officially the starting right tackle for the Black and Gold.
In the depth chart released Tuesday morning, Fautanu was officially listed over second-year pro Broderick Jones as the Steelers’ starting right tackle, a move that was expected.
wr_steelers_Sep_22_2024_roster-depth-chart_4637744Fautanu played 55 snaps against the Broncos and solidified himself as the starter, allowing just two pressures on the afternoon while grading out at a 64.4 overall from Pro Football Focus.
After the performance Sunday, PFF named Fautanu the Player of the Game, and praised him for his work in pass protection. On Tuesday, PFF called Fautanu “an asset in pass protection.”
The Steelers were planning on Fautanu being the starting right tackle to open the 2024 season against the Atlanta Falcons, but a knee injury suffered in the preseason opener against the Houston Texans caused him to miss multiple weeks in August, including the final two preseason games. That caused him to need some time to get back up to speed.
He dressed as a backup in the Steelers’ season-opening win over the Falcons on the road, and then was inserted into the starting lineup for the Week 2 matchup against the Broncos. He was in a rotation with Jones at right tackle early in the game, but Jones had three penalties called against him and was benched after just 11 snaps.
Entering Week 3, Fautanu is listed as the starter and will get full reps. That will be huge as he prepares to go up against a dynamic pass rush trio of Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack and Bud Dupree for the Los Angeles Chargers in the Steelers’ home opener at Acrisure Stadium.
