After ‘heartbreak’ of rookie season cut short, Troy Fautanu preps to be Steelers ‘25 starting RT

When Troy Fautanu on Monday made the statement that his rookie season was “not how I planned it going,” he was smiling in what was a nonverbal expression of, “obviously.”

But when, four months ago, Fautanu learned that his rookie NFL season likely was going end just after it had started, he was doing anything but smiling.

“All I remember is that I was crying,” said Fautanu, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-round pick this past spring. “I don’t cry too much, but that was something that was pretty heartbreaking because you have so much expectations coming into this year, especially for myself. I expect a lot of myself for how much work I put in. Obviously, it cut my season short. Very short.”

Try one-game short. Fautanu suffered a dislocated kneecap during a practice just five days after he made his NFL debut as the Steelers’ starting right tackle.

Fautanu went on the injured reserve list days later, and although it had been publicly posited that he could be in line to return if the Steelers advanced to the playoffs, Fautanu never was cleared to practice up until and through this past Saturday’s wild-card round loss in Baltimore.

“That was the goal, to come back at some point” Fautanu said Monday at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “But it wasn’t realistic, so I guess we will never know (if he would have returned at some point of a lengthy postseason run).”

Steelers 1st-rd pick Troy Fautanu on his feelings getting the diagnosis in Sept on what ended up a season-ending knee injury pic.twitter.com/iEG9czoKUC

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) January 13, 2025

Fautanu was the No. 20 overall pick out of Washington, where he blocked for first-round quarterback Michael Penix during the Huskies’ run to the national championship game. The smooth, 6-foot-4, 317-pound Fautanu impressed so thoroughly over organized team activities and the first two weeks of training camp that the Steelers chose to elevate him to a starting role over the previous year’s first-round pick, Broderick Jones.

Fautanu started the Steelers’ Week 2 win at the Denver Broncos despite having missed four weeks of practice time because of a knee injury during the preseason opener. That ailment, he said, had no connection from the separate kneecap issue he was later afflicted with, one that would end his rookie season after one game and 55 offensive snaps.

“Not how I wanted this (rookie season) to go, or how I planned on it going,” Fautanu said. “But I did learn a lot just being around here. I had the opportunity to go and do my rehab elsewhere, but I wanted to be around the guys, around the team.

“I am learning and picking up a lot of things from guys who have been around in the league for a long time.”

Albeit in a small sample size, Fautanu allowed no sacks and had the best Pro Football Focus grade for pass blocking of any Steelers offensive lineman in 2024.

That includes fellow members of the Steelers’ rookie draft class, Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick, who were starters at center and right guard, respectively.

Fautanu will join them in the 2025 starting lineup. Events over the offseason could affect where, exactly, Fautanu plays. Most often thought of as a right tackle, Fautanu also could, in theory, play left tackle or guard. The Steelers’ four-year reigning starting left tackle, Dan Moore Jr., is set for free agency, and Jones’ inconsistent performance could scuttle plans going forward, too.

“I am just preparing as if I’m going to play right tackle,” Fautanu said, “(because that) is what I was before, but we will see. I don’t know what (the coaching staff) has planned. I am going to, obviously, come in and compete at wherever they put me at.”

Fautanu pledged “100%” he would be medically cleared to work out once organized team activities begin in late spring.

“I’m just excited to really attack this offseason and get going,” Fautanu said, “because mentally, I’ve been wanting to be playing football for the past four months.

“It feels like I haven’t played football in years. I’ve just been watching and being out there (on the practice field). But I am excited to attack the offseason. I’ve had my time off these past four months. I am ready to go.”