Steelers Now
UNITY TWP, Pa. — Pittsburgh Steelers second-year offensive tackle Troy Fautanu revealed at training camp report day at St. Vincent College that his knee feels 100% after missing most of last season.
“I’ve been looking forward to this for a really long time,” Fautanu said of being back at training camp. “I’m just super excited to be back out here, be able to play football again.”
Fautanu had a promising rookie season cut short after just one game. Fautanu was a player that had injury concerns coming out of Washington, but the injury that cost him his rookie season wasn’t related to those concerns, it was a freak dislocation of his kneecap thanks to a missed step.
Fautanu feels like he’s back to full strength after a grueling offseason of rehab.
“The last day of minicamp compared to Day 1 of OTAs, I got a lot of confidence just in being able to know that I have the strength to play football in this league because that’s probably the hardest part,” he said. “Obviously you go through the physical stuff with rehab and stuff, but coming back to play and getting that confidence is difficult but I got through it and thought I did pretty well. I felt like myself again.”
Fautanu played just one preseason game and one regular season game last year as a rookie. It was a lost year for the rookie out of Washington, but he hopes to make his mark in 2025.
Bucky Brooks of NFL.com believes he will. Fautanu made Brooks’ list of offensive breakout players to watch in 2025.
“He has a chance to earn Pro Bowl consideration as a first-time starter, thanks to his exceptional talent and polished technique,” Brooks wrote. “He is a natural edge blocker with the balance, body control and lateral quickness to effectively shadowbox pass rushers in space. With Aaron Rodgers poised to throw the ball all over the yard behind a young and dynamic offensive line, the second-year tackle could reap the rewards from dominating his matchups in the spotlight.”
Fautanu will now make the return at right tackle, where Pittsburgh is hoping he can become a stalwart for many years to come.
Alan Saunders and Brendan provided reporting from St. Vincent College.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers OT Troy Fautanu Provides Encouraging Injury Update
