The Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-round pick will be available for their first practice day of the regular season.
Offensive tackle Troy Fautanu has been gradually ramping back up during practices this week, he confirmed Wednesday, as the training staff preps his injured left knee to allow Fautanu to practice fully after the team’s four-day holiday-weekend break.
“They told me that the schedule is that I am looking to practice next week if everything goes to plan,” Fautanu said after Wednesday’s practice at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “So starting on Monday, and we will see from there. These next couple days I will be in Pittsburgh doing rehab, so we will see how it goes.”
The No. 20 overall draft pick, Fautanu opened training camp as the second-team right tackle. But he was increasingly getting more first-team reps by the time of the first preseason game Aug. 9, during which Fautanu suffered his knee injury during the first half.
“I am just trusting the trainers and the speed that they are taking me at,” Fautanu said Wednesday. “The last couple days I have been on the field running and stuff, cutting. And today, I was with the O-line doing a little bit of (individual drills), taking some sets, getting off the ball, just trying to see how it feels. Feels good.
“They’ve got me wearing a knee brace, which I am not a big fan of knee braces (and) never was forced to wear them in college or anything like that. So it’s new to me, but it is something I have to adjust to if I want to play.”
If Fautanu is cleared, it will be interesting to see if he starts the Sept. 8 regular-season opener at the Atlanta Falcons. The vast majority of Fautanu’s camp practice reps were at right tackle, the position he likely will play in the NFL. But since Fautanu went down, last year’s first-round pick, Broderick Jones, has practiced exclusively at right tackle.
Veteran Dan Moore Jr. has remained the first-team left tackle, a spot he has held for the past three years.
