Though he didn\u2019t realize it right away, Fautanu\u2019s rookie season was over less than a week after it began.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce that happened, there were a lot of nights where you can\u2019t really see the light on the other side of the tunnel,\u201d Fautanu said. \u201cYou put so much into preparing for your rookie year. It was heartbreaking for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fautanu, a deep thinker who says he can sometimes get himself into trouble on the field by overthinking, felt he \u201cdidn\u2019t handle it the best\u201d at times, as the weight of expectation and the early roadblock in his career festered into frustration.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re going to have those good days, and you\u2019re gonna have those bad days,\u201d Fautanu said. \u201cThe good days were good, and the bad days were really bad. I was just thinking about, \u2018Am I gonna make it back? Is the team expecting me to be back?\u2019 There was a whole lot of stuff going through my head at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of all the teammates, coaches and others who supported Fautanu through the rehab process, he leaned most on his mother.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mom always knows best,\u201d Fautanu said. \u201cWhen I\u2019d get in those slumps, she\u2019d call me and she knew what I was going through.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, about eight months removed from surgery, Fautanu is nearing the end of his long road to recovery. The coaches have been careful to work Fautanu back methodically. He\u2019s nearly up to full strength and expects he\u2019ll be a full participant when the pads come on at training camp.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt made me more hungry than I already was,\u201d Fautanu said. \u201cAnd I was pretty damn ready to play.\u201d<\/p>\n
With Fautanu nearing full health, Steelers GM Omar Khan\u2019s vision for the offensive line can finally become a reality. From the moment Khan was promoted to general manager, he\u2019s made it a priority to remake the offensive line and build a team that can win games at the line of scrimmage. In his first two drafts, Khan spent two first-round picks on tackles (Broderick Jones in 2023 and Fautanu in 2024), a second-round pick at center (Zach Frazier in 2024) and a fourth-round pick at guard (Mason McCormick in 2024).<\/p>\n
Though the process is sound, the return on investment hasn\u2019t yet been realized.<\/p>\n
During the 2024 season, former left tackle Dan Moore Jr. allowed a league-high 12 sacks. Jones finished tied for second in that unflattering category with 11 sacks allowed. At the same time, the offensive line didn\u2019t open holes for running backs frequently enough, as Pittsburgh averaged just 4.1 yards per carry. Only six teams were less efficient on the ground.<\/p>\n
Fautanu\u2019s return in and of itself is significant. It\u2019s essentially like an extra first-round pick. But the ripple effect is just as important.<\/p>\n
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