Even though they haven’t had Russell Wilson, seemingly everything else has gone right for the Pittsburgh Steelers through three weeks. Mike Tomlin and Justin Fields have led the Steelers to a 3-0 start, making them one of four remaining undefeated teams.
But it’s not all peaches and cream in Pittsburgh, where one of their young starters has been ruled out for the season with a serious injury.
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Pittsburgh Steelers’ fears come true with Troy Fautanu’s season-ending injury
On Friday, leading up to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 20-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, rookie offensive tackle Troy Fautanu suffered a dislocated kneecap. The Steelers quickly placed their first-round pick on injured reserve.
On Monday, the Steelers confirmed that Fautanu will need season-ending surgery. The 20th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft played in just one game, starting in Pittsburgh’s Week 2 win over Denver. Fautanu played 55 snaps in his NFL debut, receiving a 64.4 grade from Pro Football Focus.
The Steelers prioritized upgrading the offensive line this offseason, selecting Fautanu in the first round and center Zach Frazier in the second round. Frazier’s still in the starting lineup but with Fautanu ruled out for the season, the Steelers are moving forward with Dan Moore Jr and Broderick Jones as their starting offensive tackles.
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