Did Steelers’ addition of Thornhill influence Fitzpatrick trade?

The Steelers got All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith in the exchange for Fitzpatrick in addition to sending a 2027 fifth-round pick to Miami and receiving a 2027 seventh-round pick. But, with just DeShon Elliott, Miles Killebrew , and Sebastian Castro listed with Thornhill, fans are uncertain how the safety position will work out.

Former safety Will Blackmon sees something special in Thornhill’s move to Pittsburgh. On an episode of The Facility, Blackmon answered questions about whether the new-look Steelers are getting the respect they deserve and said of Thornhill,

“(Thornhill) has 74 starts, is a two-time Super Bowl champion. So, you lose Minkah, but you got a leader back there who knows exactly what to do, who knows exactly what it takes to win championships. I think, wholeheartedly, (the Steelers) got better. They got in a situation where they’re gonna compete, they’re gonna compete. I got them actually winning a playoff game this year and ending that drought.”

Thornhill has just eight career interceptions since he was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019 NFL Draft (2nd round), with 24 passes defensed, 337 total tackles (6 for a loss). He also has one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and 7 quarterback hits. He has also missed games due to leg injuries.

In nine NFL seasons, Fitzpatrick had 20 interceptions, 54 passes defensed, 5 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, 400 solo tackles (8 for a loss), and 2 QB hits.

On paper, Fitzpatrick certainly looks to be a superior choice. But, in his last two seasons in Pittsburgh, he had just one interception, 7 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble, 105 solo tackles, and zero QB hits. The dropoff certainly made a trade opportunity more enticing.

At minicamp, Thornhill drilled alongside Fitzpatrick before the trade. Thornhill took advantage of the time on the field and got acclimated to the Steelers defense quickly.

If Elliott, who got a new deal, is slotted for strong safety – a spot he can absolutely be dominant in – Thornhill is very likely to become the next free safety starter for the Steelers.

Killebrew – already a special teams ace – and Castro are decent backups, although Castro went undrafted out of the University of Iowa this spring. At Iowa, however, Castro was well known for being a ball hawk.

So, did Thornhill directly influence Fitzpatrick’s trade? That is unlikely. It’s more likely that he made enough of an impression to the coaching staff that he’s healthy and ready to compete in training camp that they felt they could part with Fitzpatrick in order to get Ramsey and Smith.