The Pittsburgh Steelers have a long and well-documented history of being a winning franchise. However, they have not always made the best trade decisions (there was the trade-up for Devin Bush and the sixth-round trade for Josh Scobee, among others). Making a case that they made any mistakes with the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade though would be difficult. But according to Fitzpatrick, he wasn't quite prepared to come to Pittsburgh.
Fitzpatrick, a free safety, stood out during his three years at the University of Alabama. He helped the Crimson Tide win two National Championships and he won the Chuck Bednarik and Jim Thorpe Awards. During his sophomore season, he set the record for the Tide for the longest interception returned for a touchdown, at 100 yards. He also broke Alabama's all-time record for career interceptions returned for a touchdown.
One of his most significant assets is his athletic versatility. There was talk during the NFL Combine that he could play either safety or cornerback. He was widely ranked as the top player in the draft at both positions. He was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the 11th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He performed well in his rookie season as a free safety after stepping in for an injured starter.
In 2019, after the Dolphins lost to the Baltimore Ravens 59-10, Fitzpatrick requested to be traded. He said that he felt he was being used incorrectly. The Dolphins traded him to Pittsburgh with a couple of draft picks for the Steelers' 2020 first-round pick and 2021 sixth-round pick. Fitzpatrick made an immediate impact during his first game in black and gold, picking off Jimmy Garoppolo during a Week 3 match-up against the San Francisco 49ers.
Despite feeling out of place in Miami, he seems right at home in Pittsburgh as a safety. He has absolutely dominated the NFL and has become one of the best safeties in the league. He has been named First Team All-Pro three times, been selected to three Pro Bowls, and was the co-leader for interceptions in the NFL in 2022. But according to Fitzpatrick, he was building the plane as he flew it when he arrived in the Steel City.
Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick Absolutely Did Not Know What He Was Doing When He Arrived In Pittsburgh
Fitzpatrick's teammate Cam Heyward hosts a podcast called Not Just Football With Cam Heyward. A recent episode was filmed at training camp and it was a lineup of defensive powerhouses with T.J. Watt and Fitzpatrick joining Heyward. Heyward asked Fitzpatrick about being traded to the Steelers and if he had an inkling that would happen.
He said he absolutely knew he was going to get traded, talks for that actually began during training camp, before any of it was made public. He said Dolphins GM Chris Grier was keeping him appraised of who was making offers for him. Fitzpatrick said that when he found out it was the Steelers, he was thrilled. He had always heard such good things about Head Coach Mike Tomlin and admired the winning culture in Pittsburgh.
"I was really excited because I feel like you changed our defense a lot. Just being that ball-hawking safety we really needed," said Heyward. "We got the text we just traded a first-rounder for a safety and then the next game after, you started having turnovers, it was crazy."
Fitzpatrick agreed that it really did happen fast. He noted the trade happened on Monday night and the next thing he knew, he was on his way to Pittsburgh. Then all of a sudden, he was on the field and making interceptions. Heyward asked him if he even knew the playbook.
"No I didn't know the playbook," laughs Fitzpatrick. "They said you got the post, you got the blitz, and you got the flat and that was it. That's all I knew. That's it. I was learning as we were going."
Watt was asked how he felt about having Fitzpatrick join the team. He said that it was great. It is tremendously impactful to have someone of Fitzpatrick's ability join your team, but to also make an immediate impact is exceptional.
"When you have a guy come in that demands a lot of attention and respect, it helps the unit as a whole. When one guy is creating all those turnovers, you get that blood in the water and it makes everybody around them better and that much more hungry to make turnovers and make plays. I think we've all just been feeding off each other for these past four or five years."
There is no denying the impact someone like Fitzpatrick has. He embodies everything that is valued and respected in Pittsburgh. Not only is he a smash-mouth player who is not afraid to get his hands dirty on the field, he puts his head down and works hard. He has become a quiet leader on the team, giving the game the utmost respect.
All of Steeler Nation has to be forever grateful that Fitzpatrick wanted out so early in his career and that the Steelers were able to broker a deal for him.
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