Significant Change in Way Steelers Use Minkah Fitzpatrick

Minkah Fitzpatrick is an All-Pro safety. But he’s not playing the same position for the Steelers that he did a season ago. The team has started tinkering with Fitzpatrick’s role, mostly to cover up deficiencies elsewhere in the secondary, specifically in the tackling department. As such, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin warned about the opportunities for Fitzpatrick to make game-changing plays. But that’s the ultimately challenging conundrum.

Fitzpatrick is a phenomenal player, but the Steelers have a balancing act to play with him this season. With struggles elsewhere in the secondary and specifically up front in run defense, Fitzpatrick has played in the box at an astronomically higher rate this season. It has its perks. Fitzpatrick is an elite player who has grown from just an acceptable box safety to an excellent box safety. His tackling is underrated, and he can come screaming off the edge. But that limits his chances of making those splash plays he is known for on the back end. The Steelers do not have the personnel to allow him to pop there.

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) makes a catch in front of Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (39) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

So, there are pros and cons to his usage this year. I’m sure, at some point, the splash will come back. He’s on a cold streak. But Fitzpatrick is on pace to shatter the team’s record for most tackles by a defensive back this season. That will happen when he plays all over the field and, even more importantly, down in the box like he has this year. It’s been a far more physical season for Fitzpatrick in this new role. It’s a vastly different one than any other time in Pittsburgh. His moldability makes him a particular player, but you must embrace the double-edged sword.

In this game, Fitzpatrick had mainly been used as a slot defender instead of a half-field or center-field safety. He had played 101 snaps in the slot through five games. Fitzpatrick played 112 snaps there last season, the most in his time with the Steelers. He played 379 slot snaps as a rookie with the Miami Dolphins in 2018. But the Steelers have to find a way to get Fitzpatrick going and making those impactful plays on the back end of the defense, even with the idea of him playing in the box and slot shooting through the roof.

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