The Pittsburgh Steelers are very thin at offensive tackle depth after their first-round rookie, Troy Fautanu, suffered an undisclosed knee injury during practice on the Friday before the team's Week 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Steelers put him on Injured Reserve (IR) the next day, with fears of his rookie season being over after just one start. Despite those fears, there was still no word on what exactly happened to him during that practice. After the game, however, his injury was finally announced to the public.
Steelers.com
Steelers' Troy Fautanu in his first preseason game versus the Houston Texans.
Ian Rapaport announced that Fautanu had suffered a dislocated kneecap during that practice. This is awful news for the Steelers and Fautanu. However, there is hope that Fautanu could return in the postseason.
Sources: #Steelers impressive rookie RT Troy Fautanu, who was placed on IR this week, suffered what is essentially a dislocated kneecap and will have surgery to repair the ligament damage.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 23, 2024
Fautanu is out for the regular season, tho could return if PIT makes the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/scilIo6Eqk
While the surgery for that will hold him out for the remainder of the season, it's interesting that Rapaport noted that Fautanu could return for the postseason if the Steelers do make it to the playoffs. With that said, recovery time would appear to be 3-4 months from surgery, although it would seem like he would need to get it as soon as possible to make it by that time.
Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Broderick Jones (#77) sets up at the line of scrimmage and prepares to block during a 2023 preseason game against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers May Not Want Troy Fautanu Back For The Postseason
Just because Fautanu would be healthy enough to play in that game doesn't exactly mean that it would be a good idea. He would need a lot of reps in practice to get back into football shape after surgery. Even when he's ready, he may need some snaps as a swing tackle and/or special teams to get the feel of a real game situation before playing a very hard team.
If they do get that far, then there is a high chance that Broderick Jones has settled down and played well at right tackle up to that point. If that's the case, why ruin the chemistry on the offensive line? Most likely, it would be best for both team and player to let Fautanu take the season off to make sure that he is 100% healthy for training camp in 2024. Either way, it is a very unfortunate situation, and Steelers fans hope for the best for his recovery and his career.
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Steelers' Troy Fautanu working during a practice.
Until then, Jones should be able to hold down the fort at right tackle. If something happens to him, Spencer Anderson should be available, especially when Isaac Seumalo returns from his injury. This offensive line has been battered since training camp, and this is just another blow.
What do you think about Fautanu's dislocated kneecap? Let us know in the comments.
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