Steelers rookie tackle Troy Fautanu placed on injured reserve after knee injury in practice

NFL: SEP 15 Steelers at Broncos DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 15: Pittsburgh offensive tackle Troy Fautanu (76) in action during a game between the Denver Broncos and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, CO on September 15, 2024. (Photo by Kevin Langley/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) (Icon Sportswire/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

By Kari Anderson, Yahoo Sports

The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed offensive tackle Troy Fautanu on injured reserve, the team announced Saturday.

Fautanu, the Steelers' first-round pick, sustained a knee injury in practice on Friday. The rookie was initially listed as questionable before being downgraded to out on Saturday.

Pittsburgh did not provide a timeline for the injury, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday that Fautanu would be out indefinitely.

Fautanu was selected by Pittsburgh 20th overall in the 2024 Draft, out of Washington. The 23-year-old tackle suffered a knee injury in the Steelers' preseason opener, and missed the rest of the preseason before returning to the field.

With Fautanu out, tackle Broderick Jones will start on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, per the Steelers.