Steelers' OT Concerns are Way Overblown

Fautanu's Struggles Have Been Overstated

After missing all but one game as a rookie in 2024 as a result of a knee injury he suffered ahead of Week 3, Fautanu returned last season and was a steady presence at right tackle while showing flashes of eventually becoming a franchise tackle for Pittsburgh.

Upon selecting Iheanachor in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Steelers opted to move Fautanu from right tackle to left tackle, where he played during a vast majority of his collegiate career at Washington.

There were some ups and downs throughout the summer as Fautanu switched sides and readapted to the position, and it hasn't necessarily been a completely smooth transition during the regular season either.

Fautanu, as is the case with the rest of Pittsburgh's offensive line, has faced plenty of scrutiny for the unit's shortcomings. Any excessive vitriol towards him feels unfair, though, as among 158 offensive linemen who have logged at least 100 snaps so far this season, Fautanu's allowed pressure rate of 5.3 percent ranks right around the middle of the pack at No. 86 (per SumerSports).

He had arguably his best performance of the year vs. Cleveland as well, allowing a single pressure and shutting out Jared Verse along the way.

Has Fautanu played like a superstar this year? No, but he's still been reliable and seems to be growing on a weekly basis.

Iheanachor Just Needs Time

Iheanachor was viewed as somewhat of a project when Pittsburgh selected him No. 21 overall in this past year's draft. He had all the physical and athletic tools as a prospect to eventually blossom into a stalwart at right tackle, though he needed more experience and refinement in his technique before he could ever reach his ceiling.

He's made a ton of strides since entering the league, though, first making noise in training camp before an upper-body injury kept him out of the first two games of the preseason.

Iheanachor was later inserted into the starting lineup for the Steelers' Week 3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, and he was as good as the team could've realistically hoped, allowing just two pressures and no sacks (per SumerSports).

The Arizona State product did take a big step back vs. Cleveland, giving up five pressures and two sacks, though Isaiah McGuire's sack that was credited against Iheanachor was largely the result of Rodgers stepping up right into it.

That doesn't completely excuse Iheanachor's struggles, though it does add some needed context.

There are going to be growing pains for him as a rookie. For someone who came into the league as raw as he did, Pittsburgh has to take the good with the bad.

Iheanachor is still undoubtedly a better option at right tackle than Cook, however, and he has all the makings of a difference-maker for the Steelers. It's just going to take time for him to become a finished product.