Steelers Already Have Minkah Fitzpatrick Replacement

Did the Pittsburgh Steelers improve following their blockbuster trade? The organization and the Miami Dolphins swapped star secondary players, and the Steelers now have Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith on their roster. Former All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is now a member of the Dolphins.

If you ask former NFL player and current analyst Will Blackmon, the Steelers certainly improved this offseason. In addition to upgrading multiple positions, the Fitzpatrick trade was another win for the organization. Especially when they have veteran Juan Thornhill now in the mix. Speaking on FS1's The Facility, Blackmon shared his outlook on the upcoming season.

"I'm going to give you another name: Juan Thornhill, the safety that they got," he said. "He 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."

Blackmon is very high on Thornhill, and it mostly had to do with his history of winning. The 29-year-old is a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs, winning the Lombardi twice in the first four years of his NFL career. Blackmon believes that the changes the organization has made will help end its almost decade-long playoff win drought.

"I think, wholeheartedly, they got better." he said. "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."

The big question facing Thornhill is can he bounce back? After an excellent start to his career, his production has declined over the last two years. Since joining the Cleveland Browns in 2023, he's gone from a top safety to one on the decline. Now with the Steelers, he is trying to re-establish himself as one of the best secondary players in the league.

The other huge question is, can he stay healthy? He's been limited to 11 games in each of the past two seasons. He joins Pittsburgh fully healthy and with a gigantic opportunity in front of him. If he can fill the void left by Fitzpatrick, he could return to being elite and help the Steelers go on a deep playoff run.