The Pittsburgh Steelers were so impressed by rookie T Troy Fautanu that they pushed him into the starting lineup despite missing time due to a knee injury. The only problem is that he injured his knee again after his first start. He will reportedly miss the rest of the season with a chance of returning for the playoffs.
On Wednesday, OL coach Pat Meyer provided an update on Fautanu. “He’s obviously right now rehabbing his knee and working at it”, he said, via the Steelers’ website. “I’ve seen him in the training room. He’s working at it emphatically to get back as soon as he can. He’s just driven that way. That’s the way he’s built”.
The Steelers selected Troy Fautanu with the 20th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. They didn’t plug him into the starting lineup immediately, respecting Broderick Jones as the veteran. After injuring his knee in the first quarter of the first preseason game, he did not practice again until the lead up to the regular season.
While Fautanu got himself up and running for the season opener, he did not play despite dressing. The following week, however, the Steelers made the switch, demoting Jones and starting Fautanu. They planned to rotate Jones in, but he struggled so much in his snaps that Fautanu played most of the way.
Troy Fautanu played admirably in his debut, though not without some obvious rookie mistakes. Unfortunately, a knee injury suffered in practice the following week robbed him of the opportunity to address them. But he is determined to get back onto the field as soon as possible, even if the timeline is not optimistic.
“He’s driven to get back and doing that. In terms of just seeing how he handled himself on and off the field and his work ethic”, Meyer said of Fautanu. “Those young guys that we brought in, their mindset, their mentality, their love of the game, their passion for the game, I just knew that he would maybe pick [things] up quicker than some other guys”.
Troy Fautanu is one of three rookie offensive linemen to start for the Steelers this season. Second-round C Zach Frazier earned a starting job immediately. Though he missed the past two games, he expects to return after the bye week. Fourth-round G Mason McCormick replaced RG James Daniels after the latter suffered a season-ending injury. Previously, he started one of four games missed by LG Isaac Seumalo.
It seems likely that the Steelers will have all three 2024 draft picks in the starting lineup next season. Frazier will be back soon, and McCormick is obviously fine. The only question is whether we see Fautanu again this year. And whether or not he plays will likely be determined by how Broderick Jones performs. If he picks up his play following the bye, they may leave Fautanu in reserve.
