PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers placed first-round pick Troy Fautanu on injured reserve Saturday, one day after the offensive tackle tweaked his knee in practice. It’s another blow for the Steelers’ offensive line, further complicating an evolving situation at tackle.
Fautanu, the 20th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, impressed during training camp, using his 41 games of college experience (31 starts) to make his case for early playing time in the NFL. However, he sprained his MCL in the Steelers’ first preseason game on Aug. 9. The recovery lingered into the season, preventing Fautanu from playing in Week 1. It’s unclear whether this is an aggravation of the same knee or a new injury.
We have placed OL Troy Fautanu on the Reserve/Injured list. @BordasLaw https://t.co/u0Pm4ZbhOL
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 21, 2024
The former University of Washington lineman eventually made his NFL debut against the Denver Broncos in Week 2. Fautanu started and was initially slated to rotate with 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones at right tackle. However, when Jones drew three penalties during his lone series, the Steelers benched Jones. While questions about Jones’ performance emerged, coach Mike Tomlin praised Fautanu.
“Troy had been lighting it up,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “I don’t talk a lot during the preseason, particularly about rookies because it doesn’t help me and it doesn’t help them, but based on my actions in terms of putting him in the lineup, I’m sure you have an understanding of what I was looking at in team development.”
The expectation this week was that Fautanu would start at right tackle, opposite left tackle Dan Moore Jr. Meanwhile, Jones was likely to be used in personnel groupings with an extra tackle on the field or in a rotational role. Instead, with Fautanu headed to the injured reserve, Jones will again be thrust back into a starting role and have his shot at redemption.
“I’ve been here before,” Jones said. “This is not new. It ain’t nothing mystical. I just got to get out there and do it.”
This injury could have a significant ripple effect on the offense and the development of a young offensive line.
The Steelers have made it clear they want to be a team that wins the line of scrimmage and relies on a run-heavy attack. The continued investment in the offensive line was supposed to make that possible. However, that process will be challenged now with Fautanu and starting left guard Isaac Seumalo injured.
While the injury allows Jones to step back into a starting role, it also complicates his development. At some point, the plan is for Jones to flip over to left tackle, where GM Omar Khan repeatedly has said that Jones will settle in as the long-term starter. But with Fautanu out, that process will be delayed again — possibly through this season.
With Fautanu out, the Steelers promoted John Leglue to the active roster ahead of Sunday’s home opener against the L.A. Chargers.
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(Photo: Joe Sargent / Getty Images)
