The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have much depth along their offensive line as it stands right now, and the performance of the starting unit will be important for the Steelers to be a good offensive team in 2025. But as much as performance matters, so does health.
OT Troy Fautanu is looking to get back to full strength after missing almost all of his rookie season with a dislocated kneecap. The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner believes that while Fautanu can be a “standout” pass protector, keeping him healthy will be extremely important for the Steelers offense.
“The good news is that most of Fautanu’s work before the injury — granted, a small sample size — received solid praise, as the versatile 6-3, 317-pounder worked on the right side after spending his entire college career on the left (at tackle and guard). An explosive, quick mauler with great movement skills, Fautanu has the goods to be a standout protector with run-blocking upside at multiple positions. His health is critical to much of what Pittsburgh wants to be about offensively this season.”
Fautanu had medical concerns about his knees in the lead up to the 2024 NFL Draft, which could be one reason why he slid to No. 21 overall. Clearly, the Steelers felt comfortable taking the risk, and while their medical risks have largely paid off thus far with Darnell Washington and Payton Wilson not suffering any major injuries to this point in their career, the fact that Fautanu suffered a season-ending knee injury after just one game as a rookie could be cause for some alarm.
Right now, the Steelers have Calvin Anderson, Dylan Cook and Gareth Warren behind Fautanu and Broderick Jones at tackle. None of those options seem all that inspiring right now if something were to happen to Fautanu or Jones, injury or performance-wise. Fautanu has been back on the field with the Steelers throughout their offseason activities, and the team has high hopes for him this season. Being able to stay on the field will be crucial. Fautanu’s potential, as Baumgardner noted, is very high.
With the Steelers signing QB Aaron Rodgers, they’ll have the chance for a more explosive passing offense, but the team’s run game could also thrive with a backfield headlined by Jaylen Warren and Kaleb Johnson. The play of the starting offensive line will go a long way toward ensuring that the offense does what Pittsburgh is anticipating. Troy Fautanu staying healthy, which is no sure thing, really is a key piece to Pittsburgh’s offense.
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