Steelers Fans Shouldn't Worry About Troy Fautanu Just Yet

The Pittsburgh Steelers brought bully ball to Paris, France, as they defeated the New Orleans Saints 16-10 on the back of their trenches. Both lines dominated: the defense held the Saints to just 18 rushing yards, and the offense put up 148 yards on the ground. The Steelers' offensive line is on the rise, improving seemingly every game. Now they have a chance to battle for first place against an unexpected opponent, the Cleveland Browns, and show the NFL they're a legit group. 

While the offensive line dominated as a unit, it wasn't a perfect game, especially for Troy Fautanu, who struggled against Saints edge rusher Chase Young. Young beat the Steelers star for two sacks, leaving fans disappointed in their left tackle's play. Even though the Steelers won, quarterback Aaron Rodgers hasn't been protected well enough on his blind side. 

In the offseason, the new coaching regime moved both Fautanu and guard Mason McCormick to the left side. Moving what seems to be their best guard and tackle to Rodgers' blind side, it's been a smooth transition for McCormick so far, but not so much for Fautanu. The former Washington standout has allowed four sacks and 20 pressures through seven games and has an overall Pro Football Focus grade of just 67.8. 

Even though the left tackle has struggled, team insider Jeff Hathhorn doesn't see a reason to panic yet. Hathhorn told 93.7 The Fan's Dorin Dickerson and Adam Crowley that Fautanu is one of the NFL's most athletic offensive tackles and has immense talent. With the move to the left side, Hathhorn believes the former first-round pick needs more time to adjust, and eventually things will start clicking. 

"I'm still not yet, because there's so much talent there. Athleticism, all of it. I want to say he's still just settling in being back on that side of the ball," Hathhorn said. "And I just believe in what you see, just watching him move and some of the things he does in practice and like, it's going to click at some point." 

Fautanu was one of the most polished offensive tackle prospects in the 2024 draft class. His rookie season was more of a redshirt due to injury, but by the end of his second season, he was one of the better right tackles in football. After two years on the right side, it's clear he's still shaking off the rust. However, Fautanu hasn't been all bad this season. He's shown major growth in one area since being drafted, which has been huge for the Steelers' offense. 

The left side is clearly Pittsburgh's strong side on the offensive line, largely because of its run-blocking ability. Fautanu and McCormick have done an excellent job generating movement up front to create lanes for the running backs. Jaylen Warren is having a breakout season, and while he's a bona fide playmaker, his left side of the offensive line is a big reason why. 

Fautanu is excellent in space and at getting on linebackers, using his freakish athleticism that Hathhorn noted. With only seven games in, he still has plenty of time to bounce back. 

Steelers' Fautanu Will Be Just Fine

Switching from right to left is much easier said than done, especially at tackle. McCormick's transition has been smooth, but guard is not as technically sound as tackle. Footwork, hand placement, and punch timing are huge factors at offensive tackle, and switching sides can reset the process of mastering these techniques. Fautanu hasn't played left tackle since college, when the game was a lot slower for him. Now he's doing it at the NFL level, which will obviously take more time. 

Even though Fautanu hasn't lived up to expectations just yet, the Steelers' offense has done just fine moving the ball. When he comes around, Pittsburgh could have one of the best starting fives in the NFL. 

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