The Pittsburgh Steelers have three capable offensive tackles, but only two of them will be starting in Week 1 when the team heads down south to go play the Atlanta Falcons. In 2023, the Steelers threw in Broderick Jones at right tackle halfway through his rookie campaign, while Dan Moore Jr. remained at left tackle. Moore is now 25 and spent the last three seasons as the Steelers’ left tackle, yet he hasn’t performed well enough to please Steeler Nation. Troy Fautanu joined the Steelers in 2024 after being the organization’s first-round pick and he is waiting for his moment to take Moore’s job.

With the Steelers using their first-round pick on Fautanu, there were high expectations for him to become a starter quick; although, Fautanu hasn’t quite reached that point and still isn’t getting a ton of first-team reps. On the flip side, Moore has struggled in his three years with the Steelers, and his time as a starter could be coming to an end sooner rather than later.

Chris Carter of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted out via X that Moore was having a tough time during Saturday’s wet practice. Could this be Fautanu’s chance to slide in with the starters in order to relieve Moore of his duties? If anything, most expect Jones to slide to the left side and Fautanu to play right tackle when the time comes.

Moore got beaten three consecutive times by Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith. This isn’t anything new though, seeing Moore struggle. He’s one of the worst pass protectors in the league, but his Pro Football Focus grade of 51.8 would be even lower if he was just as bad at run blocking. It’s time for the Steelers to move on from Moore and let the rookie shine.

Steelers’ Head Coach Mike Tomlin typically takes some time to put rookies into the starting lineup, so just because Fautanu isn’t currently slotted as a first-teamer, doesn’t mean fans can’t see him take Moore’s spot relatively soon. As Moore continues to struggle, Fautanu will be sitting right behind ready to go.

Fautanu and Moore will both have eyes on them as they gear up for their first preseason matchup of 2024. The three preseason games will be Fautanu’s best opportunity to show Tomlin what he’s made of. Tons of members from Steeler Nation are going to be disappointed if the two starting tackles in Atlanta aren’t Jones and Fautanu. The two former first-round picks could lead this o-line for many years to come.

Steelers’ Offensive Line Not Letting Anyone Hit Their Quarterbacks

In one of their most recent practices in Latrobe, a scuffle broke out as quarterback Justin Fields took a light, late hit. The o-linemen quickly reacted by retaliating, starting a small fight. A bunch of members from the unit up front spoke about the situation, and said it was all in protection of their quarterback. The Steelers haven’t had a protective and passionate offensive line like this one for awhile, so it was certainly refreshing for the fan base.

Pittsburgh’s front will be the guide and key to their success on offense in 2024. They’ve had one of the worst and most unexciting offenses in the league for three or four years now, and a big part of that was because of the blocking. With Arthur Smith’s new playbook, the run blocking especially will have to be spot on. Once the lineup consists of Jones and Fautanu on the outsides, the Steelers’ front should be in a decent spot.

How much longer do you think it will take until Fautanu earns a starting role? What kind of leash will Tomlin give Moore this season?