The Pittsburgh Steelers are on a roll right now as the team has won three games in a row, bringing the team's record to 5-2 on the year. The team is firmly in contention in the AFC North, and the group has a big clash against the Cleveland Browns in Week 8. If the Steelers can find a way to win, Pittsburgh will officially sit alone at the top of the standings. The Steelers have had a lot of good come out of the last three weeks. The running game has looked fantastic thanks to the efforts of the offensive line and running back Jaylen Warren, but the passing game still causes some concern.
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Steelers' Troy Fautanu celebrates a touchdown with Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth during the 2026 season.
The problem with the passing game is the injuries in the room, so there is a significant lack of depth at the position currently. Aside from that, the problem is the pass protection. The offensive line has looked great when it comes to opening up holes in the running game, but the group has struggled a bit when it comes to protecting Aaron Rodgers, which is a problem considering his age and lack of mobility.
One player that has particularly been reason for concern has been left tackle Troy Fautanu. He is not where he was expected to be at this stage of his career when it comes to progression, and he seemed to struggle against Chase Young and the New Orleans Saints in Week 7. Fautanu was the franchise's first-round pick back in 2024, so that is concerning. Former NFL general manager Doug Whaley spoke about the third-year tackle's performance so far during a recent appearance on 93.7 The Fan.
"Offensively, bully ball absolutely in the running game," Whaley said. "I am still a little concerned about pass pro. Fautanu, I'm really concerned. Injured or not, he's concerning me. I-Max, not concerned at all. He's going to give up some sacks, but if you look at his footwork and how he plays the position compared to Fautanu, you'd be like, 'This guy should be playing left.' Fautanu is really, he's getting overextended, he's just not playing well. Is it the injury? I don't know."
Whaley went on to talk about how he hopes that Fautanu is more hurt than what has been reported, because his play has not been inspiring at all so far in 2026. He was dealing with a nagging injury in training camp, and he even came out of the team's Week 1 game for a play due to an ankle problem.
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Pittsburgh Steelers’ Troy Fautanu lines up at Acrisure Stadium in 2026.
There have been reports that the left tackle is more hurt than is being let on, which is hopefully the case with how his play has been as of late. Thankfully the Steelers have their bye week in Week 9, which is coming up. Hopefully Fautanu will be able to get a little bit closer to full health during that time, and the team should even see about him missing a game or two if it means he will be back to 100 percent.
Steelers May Have A Problem At Tackle
The Steelers have placed an emphasis on the trenches in the NFL Draft over the last few seasons, and it has worked out well aside from a few picks. Broderick Jones was traded up for and drafted in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he has already been traded and is currently a backup. Fautanu is struggling at left tackle and causing some reasons for concern, and that would be a problem if Pittsburgh spent back-to-back first-round picks on offensive tackles that did not pan out. Pittsburgh will have to make a decision on Fautanu's fifth-year option during the 2027 offseason, and the organization has not picked up one of those since TJ Watt, which gives some insight to how bad drafting in the first round has been.
Hopefully Fautanu gets better and Max Iheanachor works out, and the signs seem to be promising for that happening with Iheanachor.
Are you concerned with Fautanu's play? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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