PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Understandably the talk goes to the quarterback when there is uncertainty about the starter. However, the position that protects the QB could be in question for Sunday in Denver.
In-between recapping the Falcons game and being asked about the quarterback, Tomlin said the starting left tackle for the last 50 games, Dan Moore, had an ankle that swelled up on him Monday. He may be limited in the early portions of the practice week. Too early to tell what might happen, but notable that your left tackle is dealing with an injury.
There was a report during training camp that the Steelers intended for 2024 first-round pick Troy Fautanu to be the starting right tackle to begin the season. That story from Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette was posted when Fautanu was injured. Now he is working his way back from a knee issue after practicing full for the first time since the first preseason game, Thursday and Friday of last week.
Tomlin was asked if it is difficult to continue the process of competing for a starting job now that the season has started?
“It's more difficult, but we have a commitment to continue it because we liked what we saw from him during team development,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “He's deserving of that. His talents are deserving of that. We'll balance that the best we can.”
Asked if Fautanu has any restrictions, Tomlin said that he is practicing. The thought there being he wouldn’t be practicing if he had restrictions.
This is what Fautanu told 93.7 The Fan after returning to his first full practice last week.
“That’s really the biggest thing when you come back from injury, anybody, it’s just making sure you have the confidence to go out there and play fast and not think about (it),” Fautanu said last week. “I would say it’s going to take some time and trying to speed up that process as fast as possible.”
If Fautanu would start that would likely mean Broderick Jones would move over to his natural left tackle position. Jones started 11 games at right tackle last year and the opener on the right side this year. The 2022 first-round pick has said repeatedly leading up to the season opener he didn’t know what side of the ball he would play this season.
Jones got his first start at right tackle because of an injury to Chukwuma Okorafor in late October and Okorafor never got it back and was released after the season. Moore will be a free agent after this season and if he would be unable to play, could have the same thing happen to him.
As with the quarterback situation, participation in practice will give us more details, but this could be the first game with the two first-round pick tackles on the field at the same time.
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