The Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line isn't all there yet, but they've done more than enough to inspire hope for the future. Since Week 3, this unit has started to hit its stride, as Zach Frazier has proven to be one of the best centers in the game, while guard Mason McCormick has come into his own.
But the Steelers have a troubling Troy Fautanu decision on the horizon—and right now, there's no good answer for what Omar Khan and the front office should do.
Next offseason, the Steelers are preparing to dish out a few massive contracts on the offensive line. After Tyler Linderbaum shattered the center market with a record-setting deal after being traded to the Las Vegas Raiders this past offseason, Frazier could earn an even bigger deal after a dominant season so far.
Meanwhile, McCormick is entering a contract year, and after striking gold on the South Dakota State Jackrabbit in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Steelers likely won't want him testing the free agent market.
But what do they do with Fautanu? This will be one of the biggest questions for Pittsburgh next offseason.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a difficult decision to make next offseason with Troy Fautanu's fifth-year option
There's good news and bad news with Fautanu's Steelers status. The good news is that because the offensive tackle was a first-round pick in 2024, Pittsburgh has the opportunity to give him a fifth-year option before committing to a long-term extension.
The bad news is that the fifth-year option for Fautanu in 2027 is already estimated at roughly $22.25 million, according to Over the Cap projections. This is unmovable, guaranteed money for the 2027 season, should the Steelers elect to exercise this option next May.
And right now, it's hard to justify doing this for Fautanu.
It's not that the 2024 first-round pick has been bad—he's been a respectable starter. At times, Fautanu is a bully as a run blocker while showing off his quick feet in pass protection. But as we saw in Week 7 against the New Orleans Saints, he still hasn't cleaned up his flaws.
Fautanu still has too many sloppy reps on tape—reps where he's either losing with power or getting whipped off the edge. In Paris in Week 7, Saints edge rusher Chase Young earned two effortless sacks while working against the Steelers' right tackle.
Unfortunately, an offensive lineman is often only as good as their 3-4 worst plays per game.
Knowing that the Steelers are going to have to fork out for Frazier and McCormick next offseason, can they really afford to pour over $22 million into a fifth-year option for Fautanu?
This could be a lose-lose predicament.
If the Steelers hand Fautanu the fifth-year option and he underperforms, this will be money poorly spent on a player who proves to be nothing more than an average starting left tackle. If they pass on the option and he plays well, Fautanu could hit the free agent market in 2028, and the Steelers' only choice to keep him around might be paying a premium to retain his rights on the franchise tag (which is almost always a bad PR move).
The best thing that can happen at this point is for Fautanu to ball out and give the Pittsburgh Steelers every reason to believe that he will be not just the starting left tackle for the remainder of his rookie deal, but the starting left tackle of the future.
But right now, Troy Fautanu's inconsistent (and often underwhelming) play could lead to a troubling decision on the fifth-year option next offseason.
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