With the Steelers’ offseason practices well underway, third-year OT Troy Fautanu seems to be on the move—to left tackle. While not a revelation, it is apparently the increasingly most likely scenario. After spending his first two seasons at right tackle, the timing is right for him to move, Ray Fittipaldo believes.
“I’m, like, 95 percent sure on that”, he said on 93.7 The Fan about Fautanu being the Steelers’ left tackle on opening day. “He’s their best offensive lineman. It does not look like Broderick Jones is gonna be ready”.
While the Steelers drafted Broderick Jones to play left tackle, he didn’t move there until last year. Like Troy Fautanu, he spent his first two seasons at right tackle. That was because he couldn’t beat out Dan Moore Jr. for the job, though, so the circumstances are different.
Now, however, it’s as much a matter of Jones’ health as anything else. He suffered a neck injury late last season, causing him to need surgery. He finally spoke to reporters recently, and he revealed there is no timeline for him to return. While he remains motivated to play, he doesn’t know when doctors will clear him.
Due to the uncertainty of Jones’ status, the Steelers need to explore their options. Mike McCarthy and his new staff may have wanted to do that anyway, searching for the best line combination. But on paper, Troy Fautanu is clearly their best left tackle option. He played there in college, so it’s not like he’s starting from scratch.
“No one really knows what the timeline is, and when that’s the case, I think it’s gonna be hard for him to retake that starting job at left tackle”, Fittipaldo said of Jones. “So, I see Troy over there, and I see Dylan Cook and rookie Max Iheanachor battling for the job at right tackle. Eventually, that’s gonna be Max’s job, but I think for a short while, they’ll trust Dylan Cook”.
Fautanu, a 2024 first-round pick, missed all but one game during his rookie season due to multiple knee injuries. He returned to the lineup in 2025, arguably establishing himself as the Steelers’ best lineman. His sound fundamentals and consistent hand and footwork should help him play on either side—even at guard, if necessary.
Max Iheanachor is the other major factor here, the Steelers’ latest first-round pick. Even on a more long-term basis, he may be best suited to play right tackle. They obviously drafted him for the purpose of being a starter. If he is going to start at right tackle eventually, it makes sense to move Troy Fautanu to left tackle now. And they do have enough options to do that even if Iheanachor isn’t ready now.