Fautanu in a Boot, and the Tackle Depth Is Thinner Than It Looks

Troy Fautanu is listed active on the injury report, but the walking boot is hard to ignore. The depth chart has Max Iheanachor at the top of the tackle rotation and Gennings Dunker behind him — and that's essentially where it ends. The organization traded Broderick Jones to Dallas for picks in late August, a move that made sense at the time as a signal of confidence in the remaining group. That confidence looks a little more exposed now.

This was supposed to be the stabilized version of the offensive line — the one that would give Aaron Rodgers a clean pocket to work from in what he's said will be his final season. Iheanachor had his own training camp scare with an arm and shoulder injury before getting back on the field. The line has been navigating something all summer. A Fautanu absence, even a short one, compresses the margin further.

The Steelers clinched a playoff spot at 10-7, leading the AFC North. They have won close games all year — but the whole offseason mandate was to stop needing to. Protecting Rodgers through the stretch run is the one thing the line has to do. Worth watching how this develops before the week is out.