© Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Steelers Comfortable with Troy Fautanu's Medical Concerns
The Pittsburgh Steelers have no concerns about Troy Fautanu's reported knee issue.
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers felt they got lucky when Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautaunu fell from being one of the top prospects, regardless of position, down into range for them to range of their first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
A run of offensive tackles early in the first round pushed Fautaunu further and further down and left some wondering if an issue with his injured knee had led some teams to steer clear. But both head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan were insistent that they didn't consider anyone other than Fautaunu and the injury concerns didn't make them waver.
"We wouldn't have selected him if we weren't comfortable," Kahn said. "I can't speak to some of the stuff that's out there and what's true and what's not and what other poeple are saying but we were comfortable."
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer originally reported three days before the start of the draft that Fautanu was flagged for an issue with his knee and while it wasn't immedietely pressing, there was concern that it could limit how long he lasts in professional football.
"Washington OT Troy Fautanu’s knee was flagged. That one was described to me as the sort of issue that shouldn’t be a problem in the short term, but could wind up impacting his longevity in the pros (though his high football character is a factor in making teams feel like he’ll do all he can to take care of it, and give himself the best chance)," Breer wrote.
Fautanu himself told reporters after he was picked that his knee hasn't bothered him for years and he wasn't sure why so many teams passed on him. But he's confident where he's at with his knee and his health in general as he embarks on the first year of his professional career.
"You play football, playing offensive line, you play football for years and years and you don't get injured, you're like a pony," Fautanu said. "I understand the physicality that I play with and sometimes, things like that are going to happen, but I'm not going ot let that stop me from coming to work every day and playing the way that I do play."
The Steelers got a chance to evaluate him up close and personal at his pro day, which offensive line coach Pat Meyer attended. They met with him at the NFL Combine and brought him in for a top 30 visit this spring and clearly, all of those looks ended with the Steelers brass unable to find anything that concerned them enough to let the No. 1 player on their board slip through their fingers.
