Steelers’ Troy Fautanu Out Indefinitely Due to Knee Injury

PITTSBURGH – Steelers starting right tackle Troy Fautanu has suffered a knee injury during practice on Friday, leaving him sidelined indefinitely, according to sources close to the team.

The 2024 first-round pick was set to make his second career start against the Los Angeles Chargers this Sunday. However, fellow tackle Broderick Jones revealed that Fautanu experienced “a little tweak” during practice and is scheduled for an MRI to assess the severity of the injury.

“We really don’t know what his status is going to be,” Jones said while discussing the situation surrounding Fautanu. “I filled in for him and then we’ll just go from there after he gets his MRI and stuff, and we’ll figure out what’s going on.”

With Fautanu out, Jones is poised to take on the starting role. The Steelers traded up to draft Jones 14th overall in 2023, and this presents him an opportunity to bounce back after a lackluster performance coming off the bench against the Denver Broncos.

“It’s nothing new,” Jones commented about stepping into the starting position. “It ain’t nothing mystical, so I just got to get out there and do it whenever my name’s called.”

Initially, Fautanu had taken over the starting position from Jones for the game against Denver. However, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had intended to rotate the tackles until Jones was penalized several times, which ultimately led to him being benched for the remainder of that game.

“I had intentions of utilizing both guys,” Tomlin explained. “I acknowledged that Troy was healthy and capable. That’s why we started him, but I rolled him because I had concerns about his level of conditioning. He’s a young guy, new to me and new to the NFL. I was unsure how fatigue would affect his play. When Broderick started getting penalties, I backed off and kept Troy in.”

Fautanu’s injury marks the third significant setback on the offensive line. Center Nate Herbig is out for the season due to a rotator cuff tear, while veteran guard Isaac Seumalo has missed the first two weeks following a pectoral injury during practice. Seumalo is also unavailable for the upcoming game against the Chargers.

This isn’t the first time Fautanu has faced injury issues. He initially sustained an MCL sprain during the first half of the Steelers’ opening preseason game in August, which ruled him out for the rest of the preseason. Despite that setback, Tomlin commended Fautanu’s performance leading up to his recent injury, indicating that he was ready to play prior to the incident.

“Troy had been lighting it up,” Tomlin noted. “I don’t talk a lot during the preseason, especially about rookies, because it doesn’t help me or them. But based on my decisions in terms of putting him in the lineup, you can see what I was assessing in team development.”

As the Steelers prepare for their matchup against the Chargers, the uncertainty surrounding Fautanu’s recovery adds additional pressure to the team’s offensive line. Jones and the other players will need to step up in his absence to ensure the team’s offense remains effective against a challenging opponent.

Maintaining cohesion on the offensive front is crucial as they fight to adapt to these injuries. The focus will now be on how well Jones can perform as a starter along with his fellow linemen, particularly with the added pressure from the Chargers’ defensive lineup.