Roughly eight months out from a season-ending knee injury, Troy Fautanu is back on the practice field for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Although they are taking it slow with him, he is on track to take over the right tackle position. The man who occupied that spot the past two years, Broderick Jones, likes what he sees from his “replacement”.
“Man, Troy’s good”, Jones said of Fautanu after his first two practices since his injury, via the Steelers’ website. “They try not to push him too much because he’s still trying to work his way back. But Troy’s looking amazing”.
The Steelers’ first-round pick in 2024, Troy Fautanu had unfortunate luck as a rookie. He injured his knee twice, first during the preseason, then after his first start. The fact that they even started him given the time he missed due to injury spoke volumes about how they assessed his play at the time.
Last season, the Steelers still had Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle, and Broderick Jones was still at right tackle. But they liked Troy Fautanu enough that they started him in Week 2 once they felt he was healthy. They initially planned to rotate him and Jones, but Jones’ struggles prompted a benching.
In the week to follow, Fautanu dislocated his kneecap, shelving him for the rest of the year. While they initially expressed hope he could return for a postseason run, that was never realistic in hindsight. And although they are trying to be careful with him now, they are hopeful they finally have their offensive line in place.
Over a two-year span, the Steelers drafted five offensive linemen and signed two in free agency. That includes first-round selections of OTs Jones and Fautanu, who will start at left and right tackle this season, respectively.
The Steelers didn’t expect Troy Fautanu to be available when they selected in the first round last year. But there he was, and they wasted no time sprinting to the podium to get him. Only time will tell, however, if they successfully took advantage of two deep offensive tackle classes.
The offensive line has been an issue for the Steelers for years, necessitating major investments in it. With resource expenditure on players like Troy Fautanu, they hope they will finally see the fruits of their labor.
Of course, there’s only so much you can tell from offensive line play in shorts. But the fact that Troy Fautanu is working and moving fluidly in football-like activities is a welcome sign. Even more encouraging will be when he suits up with no restrictions during training camp. After all, he’ll have to get through a 17-game season after that, so he better be ready.
