Steelers Rookie Reveals Mysterious Season-Ending Injury

The Pittsburgh Steelers rookie was shut down unexpectedly and is now preparing for his sophomore season in the NFL.
Jul 28, 2024; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Troy Fautanu (76) participates in drills during training camp at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
Jul 28, 2024; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Troy Fautanu (76) participates in drills during training camp at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
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Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Troy Fautanu missed most of his rookie campaign after dislocating his knee cap in practice before the team's Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, but he's eager to get back on the field in the near future.

When asked if he will be ready to participate once organized team activities (OTAs) roll around, Fautanu left no doubt with his answer.

"100%," Fautanu said. "I'll be ready to go then. I'm looking to just get ready to go."

He added that his current absence has marked his longest time away from the game across his entire football career, which has driven him even more during his recovery.

"Feels like I haven't played football in years," Fautanu said. "Just watching, being out there, but like I said before man, I'm excited to attack the offseason. I've had my time off these past four months, I'm ready to go."

The No. 20 overall selection out of Washington in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Fautanu was projected to step into a starting role on an offensive line that was in the midst of a youth movement with the likes of second-round pick Zach Frazier, fourth-rounder Mason McCormick and 2023 first-rounder Broderick Jones also in the fold.

Fautanu logged 25 snaps in Pittsburgh's preseason opener versus the Houston Texans, though a knee injury he sustained in that contest would stop him from making his regular season debut until Week 2 against the Denver Broncos, a game in which he received 55 reps at right tackle.

He appeared to have beaten out Jones for the lion's share of snaps at the position until going down with another knee injury, which was not related to the one he suffered during the preseason.

Fautanu recounted the story of how the injury occurred in practice while describing his feelings in the aftermath of the situation.

"I wasn't really dealing with anything with my knee up until then," Fautanu said. "The last two years of college I never really had any issues like that. In that practice, how I remember the play exactly, just trying to sit on an anchor and it kinda just gave out. Felt a little different than it did previously, so I kinda knew something was up. It was heart-breaking when I got that MRI, but there was nothing I could do about it then."

He remains a major part of Pittsburgh's future and will look to help the team's offense turn its fortunes around after an anticlimactic finish to what was once a promising 2024 season.

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