Steelers' Troy Fautanu Receives Harsh Critique Of His Technique: "He's Gonna Get Bullied A Lot"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have steadily been rebuilding their offensive line. The biggest upgrades were the addition of offensive tackles Broderick Jones in 2023 and Troy Fautanu in 2024. Steelers have been shuffling them and veteran Dan Moore Jr. back and forth this preseason, trying to develop a cohesive plan for the offensive tackle positions. 

Last season, Jones, who'd played left tackle in college, sat to develop behind Moore. But when Head Coach Mike Tomlin benched Chukwuma Okorafor, he went in at right tackle. Fautanu also played left tackle in college, so when he was drafted, the assumption was that the Steelers would move Jones to left tackle, where he belongs, and have Fautanu play on the right side. That would seemingly have the Steelers set up for years to come. 

Then disaster seemed to strike during the team's first preseason game against the Houston Texans. Not only did Fautanu not play well, giving up two sacks, but he ended his evening in a knee brace. 

Former NFL defensive end Chris Long recently spoke about Fautanu on his show, The Green Light Podcast. Long, a first-round pick by the St. Louis Rams in 2008, said it isn't uncommon for players on the line to need some time to develop. That's why he wasn't totally surprised to see Fautanu struggle. But he is concerned about the injury and what it will mean for his development. 

"This Fautanu guy has got some work to do. The Steelers have got some work to do with him. Out of the whole group, I think that Fautanu, Week 1, showed me he has got some work to do. His feet are in the air when he makes contact. His feet and his hands are not tied together. He kind of strikes high. If you watch him, you'll know what I'm talking about. He looks like he's a better jump setter right now than a guy that's sitting back and waiting. If he sits back and waits, his punch is not tied in with his hands. He's gonna get bullied a lot. He's out for a couple of weeks, so that really hurts ya. This is a guy that could use the reps and now he's gonna be missing reps for a couple weeks."

The full extent of Fautanu's injury isn't known. Jeremy Fowler called it a "minor MCL sprain," saying it wasn't serious. In another twist, Gerry Dulac reported that the Steelers will start Fautanu at right tackle. Dulac said the Steelers don't want to wait to start him. It seems like if Fautanu is unable to play, Jones will stay on the right until he comes back, leaving Moore on the left for now. 

Steelers Have More Offensive Line Work To Do

The tackle position wasn't the only area targeted by the Steelers during this year's draft. They also took a center out of West Virginia in the second round, Zach Frazier. This was a huge relief, as Pittsburgh has struggled at center since Maurkice Pouncey retired. 

In camp, veteran guard Nate Herbig is battling Frazier for the starting spot. Like they did last year with the tackle position, the Steelers like to avoid throwing rookies to the wolves, and Herbig has been given the starting role for now. Unfortunately, Herbig wasn't able to sync up with quarterback Justin Fields in their first preseason game together. The two had multiple misfired snaps. While Herbig was quick to take responsibility, he also pointed out that he hadn't had any issues during camp. 

This opens the door for Frazier, who looked solid during the game against the Texans. Of course, as Steelers fans know all too well from last season, the preseason is not guaranteed success for the regular season. 

What do you think will happen with the battle for the tackle positions? Click to comment below. 

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