Steelers will have to prove they learned from their mistakes after Day 1 of OTAs prove they are doing the Broderick Jones experiment all over again
The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to be repeating one of their past mistakes, but in reality, it’s a whole different situation this time around with the offensive line.
It’s safe to say that the Pittsburgh Steelers completely botched the development of Broderick Jones. Sure, the injuries and lack of execution haven’t helped his case, but the truth is, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Jones to be the future of the left tackle position.
Instead, he was placed at right tackle, struggled, got moved to left tackle, and was decent before a season-ending injury in 2025. Well, Day 1 of OTAs in Pittsburgh showed that the Steelers may be taking a similar route with Troy Fautanu, but this time they will have to learn from their mistakes.
Troy Fautanu Facts
- Nevada native.
- Played at the University of Washington.
- No. 20 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Steelers flip the right side of their offensive line during Day 1 of OTAs
Alongside what was going on with the quarterback position, easily the most intriguing development from Day 1 of Steelers OTAs was that the right side of the Steelers’ starting offensive line flipped to the left.
Broderick Jones was seen doing warmups off to the side during practice, but he didn’t participate in any team drills, and he is still ruled out indefinitely. Of course, the Steelers drafted Max Iheanachor in Round 1, but he took second-team reps behind Dylan Cook.
And that’s where things get interesting. Because not only did the Pittsburgh Steelers flip Troy Fautanu to the left side, they did the same thing with Mason McCormick on day one of OTAs.
Now, it could all be an experiment, and that Steelers offensive line could turn out to be musical chairs throughout the summer, but if the OTAs are an indication of what’s to come, it’s still a risk from Pittsburgh.
Steelers betting that Troy Fautanu will carry over hot start to LT
Pittsburgh is betting that the chemistry Fautanu and McCormick had on the right side of their offensive line will carry over to the left. I would argue that Fautanu being flipped is a much better situation than Broderick simply because he produced as a left tackle in college and has much better technique, but your still asking someone who spent the last two years brushing their teeth with their right hand to use their left hand, to use an analogy.
Time will tell how it all plays out.