Troy Fautanu back on the field with Steelers after grueling knee injury recovery
Troy Fautanu was Pittsburgh’s top draft pick in 2024, but a knee injury cost him his rookie season
Updated: 5:03 PM EDT May 28, 2025
Troy Fautanu’s rookie year with the Pittsburgh Steelers ended almost immediately after it began.Fautanu played in one game before suffering a knee injury, and the 2024 first-round draft pick been working his way back ever since.”I remember exactly where it was over there,” Fautanu said Wednesday, pointing to a spot on the practice field during Pittsburgh’s second day of OTAs. “We were doing ‘seven shots.’ Trying to anchor down, my foot just got caught in the ground weird. Body twisted, and my leg didn’t.”From there, Fautanu was done for the season. While he knew the recovery would be a lengthy one, he didn’t realize how much of a mental toll it would take.”Recovery was like four to six months, they said. So that’s why we were kind of trying to push. We were aiming to come back, but obviously it didn’t happen,” Fautanu said. “So once that happened, there were a lot of nights where you can’t really see the light on the other side of the tunnel, because obviously you put so much into preparing for this season, your rookie year.”Fautanu admitted he didn’t handle the injury well and would look too far into the future. It wasn’t until he started focusing on the day-to-day that he turned a corner.”I learned and talked to a lot of people. I think that’s what really helped me is surrounding myself with a good team,” Fautanu said. “And listening to my mom … basically she was just trying to lift me up. I think that’s what I’m so thankful for, coming out on this end, is just knowing that all those people were there for me and were lifting me up.”Fautanu says he pretty much talks to his mother every day. As for the physical side of the injury, he expects to be ready for full pads by training camp.The Steelers feel confident enough in Fautanu’s recovery that they have finally executed a long-gestating plan to have Fautanu start at right tackle with Broderick Jones — their top pick in 2023 — moving to left tackle.Jones says it feels more natural for him to be on the left side, and he’s more confident there.”When they initially moved me to right tackle, and I played it for so long, and then they tried to make me like the swing tackle, it was kind of funky,” Jones said. “But I knew I would be going back to left, so this offseason, I just tried to focus on nothing but the left side.”But it does come with adjustments.”Honestly, probably for me, it’s just like flipping the plays in my head, because some of our plays are flip-flopped, like, backwards. So you hear them, and they might be going one way, but it may be called the other way,” Jones said. “So, just again, staying locked in with the plays, and just making sure you know them. You know the plays, you can play at 110%.”The Steelers have invested heavily in the offensive line in recent years while their search for a franchise quarterback continues. If all goes as planned, Jones and Fautanu will serve as the bookends, with second-year center Zach Frazier in the middle, flanked by second-year guard Mason McCormick and veteran Isaac Seumalo.The Associated Press contributed to this article.
PITTSBURGH —
Troy Fautanu’s rookie year with the Pittsburgh Steelers ended almost immediately after it began.
Fautanu played in one game before suffering a knee injury, and the 2024 first-round draft pick been working his way back ever since.
“I remember exactly where it was over there,” Fautanu said Wednesday, pointing to a spot on the practice field during Pittsburgh’s second day of OTAs. “We were doing ‘seven shots.’ Trying to anchor down, my foot just got caught in the ground weird. Body twisted, and my leg didn’t.”
From there, Fautanu was done for the season. While he knew the recovery would be a lengthy one, he didn’t realize how much of a mental toll it would take.
“Recovery was like four to six months, they said. So that’s why we were kind of trying to push. We were aiming to come back, but obviously it didn’t happen,” Fautanu said. “So once that happened, there were a lot of nights where you can’t really see the light on the other side of the tunnel, because obviously you put so much into preparing for this season, your rookie year.”
Fautanu admitted he didn’t handle the injury well and would look too far into the future. It wasn’t until he started focusing on the day-to-day that he turned a corner.
“I learned and talked to a lot of people. I think that’s what really helped me is surrounding myself with a good team,” Fautanu said. “And listening to my mom … basically she was just trying to lift me up. I think that’s what I’m so thankful for, coming out on this end, is just knowing that all those people were there for me and were lifting me up.”
Fautanu says he pretty much talks to his mother every day. As for the physical side of the injury, he expects to be ready for full pads by training camp.
The Steelers feel confident enough in Fautanu’s recovery that they have finally executed a long-gestating plan to have Fautanu start at right tackle with Broderick Jones — their top pick in 2023 — moving to left tackle.
Jones says it feels more natural for him to be on the left side, and he’s more confident there.
“When they initially moved me to right tackle, and I played it for so long, and then they tried to make me like the swing tackle, it was kind of funky,” Jones said. “But I knew I would be going back to left, so this offseason, I just tried to focus on nothing but the left side.”
But it does come with adjustments.
“Honestly, probably for me, it’s just like flipping the plays in my head, because some of our plays are flip-flopped, like, backwards. So you hear them, and they might be going one way, but it may be called the other way,” Jones said. “So, just again, staying locked in with the plays, and just making sure you know them. You know the plays, you can play at 110%.”
The Steelers have invested heavily in the offensive line in recent years while their search for a franchise quarterback continues. If all goes as planned, Jones and Fautanu will serve as the bookends, with second-year center Zach Frazier in the middle, flanked by second-year guard Mason McCormick and veteran Isaac Seumalo.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.