Pittsburgh Steelers' 2024 first-round offensive tackle Troy Fautanu has dealt with multiple knee injuries in his three-year NFL career. At first glance, it appeared Fautanu picked up another serious setback in the Week 1 season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, but the Steelers undoubtedly dodged a bullet.
Following an 17-yard rush in the fourth quarter by Warren, in which he was pushed forward by multiple Steelers teammates, Fautanu went down due to a possible knee injury, heading to the sideline with trainers as fans waited with bated breath. Luckily for the Steelers, there was no blue tent trip for the young offensive tackle, as Fautanu retook the field soon after.
Fautanu is on the sideline still with his helmet on.
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) September 13, 2026
While Fautanu was down,
Max Iheanachor made his NFL debut at right tackle while Dylan Cook moved over to the left side.
Fautanu, drafted by the Steelers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee in August of his rookie season, and then a season-ending dislocated knee injury one month later.
Mike McCarthy may provide more details on Fautanu's condition during the post-game press conference, but the Steelers likely caught a huge break in this win.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers avoid major injury scare in Week 1 win over Falcons
