The Steelers were dealt a significant blow a few days ago when it was announced that rookie right tackle Troy Fautanu was going on injured reserve. While there has been no official word on his knee injury, speculation has ranged from his missing a significant amount of the season to possibly being out for the remainder.
This could be the beginning of the end for Pittsburgh, a squad that is now fragile.
The goal was that the continual investment in the tackle position would finally pay off this year. For a long period, this team overlooked both tackle positions to the detriment of its offensive line. The team has invested its top picks in tackles during the last two seasons. With Dan Moore still around and Dylan Cook looking good as a backup, the tackle room appeared primed to be one of the best spots on the squad.
Now the room appears to be in shambles. It began with a slew of queries regarding Broderick Jones. Despite an early commitment to playing Fautanu on the right side of the line, the Steelers continued to play Jones there while simultaneously working at left tackle. He has yet to find his balance on either side. To be clear, his actions have been unacceptable. From being penalty-heavy to receiving subpar pass protection repetitions, the Steelers haven’t seen the expected improvement from Jones in year two. It got so bad that Jones was benched for Fautanu last week, which felt like the smartest option at the time to keep Jones’ chances of making the team. He could sit and rebuild his confidence before focusing on left tackle reps, which are his projected long-term position.
Why the Steelers are scrambling after the Fautanu injury.
Now, with Fautanu out for an extended period of time, Jones will be put back into the right tackle position just a week after being benched. There was a time when it appeared he could establish a constant routine while being on the bench, but that is no longer the case. He must sink or swim, and I doubt he is in the appropriate frame of mind to do so.
Even if Jones improves, the Fautanu injury will cause significant problems for the roster this season. For instance, a once-deep tackle room has become incredibly
shallow. While Cook, who is also on injured reserve, can resume practice with the team soon if he has healed up, the depth overall is still lacking now. It isn’t like there is a surplus of great tackles available either, given the premium on the position. Beyond just depth, one has to be upset that now Jones is likely locked into the right tackle role for the remainder of this season. Moore has played extremely well so far this year, but if he had faltered it would have made sense to kick Jones to the left side to replace him. That can’t happen now through.
Even if Jones does rebound and Moore continues to play well/stays healthy, losing Fautanu just adds more questions for the team long-term. Jones will play out the year at right tackle, so where does he go from there? Moving him to the left side in his third year could continue to stunt his growth. Moving Fautanu to the left side is equally problematic.
And all of this implies Jones improves his game. He may just as easily fall down on his face, and a year of poor performance with no direction could effectively kill his career. His benching appeared to be a blessing in disguise, as he returned to the lineup less than a week later. In every regard, Fautanu’s departure is a blow to the Steelers. In the best-case scenario, Jones strengthens his position on the right side, adding concerns for 2025 and beyond. For an offense centered on not making mistakes and running the ball, the Steelers’ lack of consistency in the tackle room, as well as the possibility of implosion due to Jones, might derail their season.
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