The Steelers can be with out their beginning proper sort out for the foreseeable future. Rookie Troy Fautanu injured his knee throughout Friday’s apply and is sidelined indefinitely, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The lineman is about to endure additional testing. Offensive sort out Broderick Jones instructed reporters Friday that his teammate suffered “a bit of tweak” to his knee (through ESPN’s Brooke Pryor).
The Steelers chosen Fautanu with the Twentieth-overall decide on this previous 12 months’s draft. The rookie was sidelined with an MCL damage throughout the preseason, and he didn’t find yourself seeing the sector for the staff’s season-opener. With Jones struggling at RT, coach Mike Tomlin mentioned the staff would probably rotate tackles throughout Week 2.
Whereas Fautanu garnered the beginning, Tomlin did initially persist with his rotational plan. Nevertheless, as Pryor factors out, Jones proceeded to commit three penalties in a six-play span, resulting in the rookie taking part in out the competition. Fautanu completed the sport stepping into 55 offensive snaps, with the lineman incomes reward from Professional Soccer Focus for his pass-blocking prowess.
With Fautanu now sidelined, the Steelers will probably flip again to Jones. Outdoors of LT Dan Moore Jr., the staff’s solely different wholesome offensive sort out is apply squad rookie Doug Nester. For what it’s price, Jones acknowledged his struggles by means of the primary two weeks, and Tomlin believes the previous first-round decide is prime for a rebound.
“He’s a gifted younger participant,” Tomlin mentioned (through Pryor). “I’m positive he suffered some disappointment when it comes to Troy beginning. It’s a pure factor, however he’s bought to maneuver previous it. I bought to provide him a chance to maneuver previous it as a frontrunner.”
