Rookie jitters turned into rookie woes for the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, who sustained a knee injury during the preseason face-off against the Houston Texans last Friday - and before you ask, yep, it's looking like an MCL sprain, which is, thankfully, minor, as reported by WPXI.
What's curious is that Fautanu, who was selected at No. 20 in this year's draft out of the University of Washington, didn't visibly buckle or break down during game time, but a team spokesman later let slip after the game that he got nicked up and is undergoing evaluation—those who caught the game might've missed the exact play that clipped the rookie's wings for a couple of weeks.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler got the scoop and noted, "Not considered serious for Pittsburgh's first-rounder," a statement that undoubtedly cushioned the blow for Steelers fans far and wide, but coach Mike Tomlin is still playing it by ear, saying "the extent of the injury was unknown," with a more detailed prognosis slated for Sunday, as per a CBS News Pittsburgh report.
Meanwhile, back at the depth chart, Fautanu had been listed as the second-string left tackle behind Dan Moore Jr., who edged ahead courtesy of starting 15 games in the position during his tenure with Washington last season, and now with Fautanu's unexpected sideline stint, it's anyone's guess how the Steelers will reshuffle their offensive line to fill the gap for the preseason and perhaps early in the regular season, depending on Fautanu's knee rehab timeline.
