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Cam Heyward shares his honest reaction when finding out the Pittsburgh Steelers traded Minkah Fitzpatrick back to Miami

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Rob Gregson | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 4:40 PM ET

There had been talks, rumors, and hearsay for some time that the Steelers might swing a deal for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith.

But other than a peep back in March, no one really saw a Minkah Fitzpatrick trade coming.

That includes his former teammate and team captain Cam Heyward...

Cam Heyward says Minkah Fitzpatrick trade is bittersweet

“I don’t know how I feel about it. It’s bittersweet. I’ve enjoyed playing with him, and I was kind of shook by it all,” Heyward said on his podcast, Not Just Football with Cam Heyward. “I’m excited about the new teammates, but I’m also sad to be losing a guy that I really respect in our locker room . . .

" . . . It’s gonna be different. Guys are gonna have to step up, “But man, didn’t expect to lose a teammate like that.”

The fact that it will be over 24 hours since the trade went down when this is published and we have still yet to hear from Minkah Fitzpatrick, I think it's safe to assume he was just as taken aback.

Did he regress? Yes. Was he the same player the last two seasons as he was from 2019-2022? No. But he was the heartbeat of that secondary. A vocal leader. A player that everyone in the locker room could look up to and a guy who helped set the standard.

And to be fair to Minkah, a lot of that regression wasn't his fault. After recording 12 interceptions in his first three seasons with the Steelers, Minkah only logged 1 in the last two seasons. Part of that is due to injury and playing out of position, but part of it is due to erosion of skill, quite possibly.

And when you see what the Steelers netted in return, not to mention the fact that they weren't interested in a new contract that Minkah would surely have wanted next offseason, and the move didn't have to be made, but it does make sense.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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