Steelers Trade Joins Rare NFL History

The Pittsburgh Steelers continued their impressively busy offseason recently by making yet another trade to mix up their team.

Unlike most of their recent trades that mostly involved their offensive core, the Steelers decided to part ways with a cornerstone of their defense in Minkah Fitzpatrick by sending him to the Miami Dolphins. Including a Day 3 pick swap, the Steelers landed tight end Jonnu Smith and defensive back Jalen Ramsey in return.

Unlike other professional leagues in the USA, the National Football League often stays away from star-and-star trades, trading draft capital for star power more often than not. That is evident in trades that the Steelers have made previously, including Chase Claypool and George Pickens. The Fitzpatrick trade was such a big deal, that it made history that had not occured since, at minimum, 2002. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports took to X to report on the historic trade and the relative star power of the players involved on both sides of the deal.

"From CBS Sports Research: Minkah and Jalen’s swap marks the first time since at least 2002 where two 5+ time Pro-Bowlers were traded for each other since 2002." Jones wrote.

At surface-level, it would look like the Steelers have won the trade due to the fact that they got an additional player over the Dolphins.

While the trade seems to signal that the Steelers are ready to compete, Ramsey's high age and contract value could hinder them in the future. They took a significant gamble on his production as an interceptor as opposed to a player like Fitzpatrick who scares the quarterback away from his matchup. It will be impossible to tell if the deal is a win for either side until both teams get well into the coming NFL season.