Steelers Hope Defensive Reinforcements Help Unlock Minkah Fitzpatrick in 2024
The one main objective of the Steelers defensive signings was to get Minkah Fitzpatrick back to playing his vintage “Minkah ball.” Newcomers like Patrick Queen and DeShon Elliott will help Fitzpatrick get back to that after he spent the 2023 season playing down low more often and not being able to be the ballhawk that he has been for the team in the past.
“Just let me play ball,” Fitzpatrick told reporters at OTAs. “That’s it. Minkah ball. … As many great players as you could get in the field is going to help Minkah play Minkah ball.”
This group of newcomers, and even the rookies and second-year players, have been observed by Fitzpatrick as guys that are willing to go that extra mile and put in that extra hour of work. This high-level drive was something Fitzpatrick noticed was missing in guys on some of the teams of the past.
“I’m not a dude that’s gonna put people in a headlock to do extra work. But a lot of young guys make it an effort and do what I’m doing,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think it’s very important to show them how to be a professional.”
Another guy that will eventually help Fitzpatrick play more freely in 2024 is Cam Sutton. The former Steelers is facing a league imposed suspension to being the season but will return midseason. Sutton was suspended for eight games for an off-the-field domestic violence issue and while Sutton will help Fitzpatrick on the field, Fitzpatrick is ready to return the favor by being in Sutton’s corner off of the field.
“We all have things we go through,” Fitzpatrick said when asked about the Sutton signing. “I think one of the best things about being in a locker room is that you have 52 other dudes that can help you get through whatever it is. We love Cam, he’s a great dude. We all have our flaws and our situations, but we’re gonna embrace him. Treat him like he never left.”
Sutton played with the Steelers from 2017 to 2022 before leaving for Detroit in free agency. Now that he is back, it adds another “great player” to be on the field with Fitzpatrick and the rest of the defense. Fitzpatrick sees it an another “chess piece” that will allow him to get back to “Minkah ball.”
“He’s been in the system for a long time,” he said. “He’s been in the league for a long time. So he has experience, is a versatile player. (He can) play corner, can play nickel, can play dime and even safety if he had to. So he’s another chess piece to the chessboard for us.”
Regardless, it appears that the Steelers do not want to put the wear-and-tear on Fitzpatrick’s body that he endured last year so expect his ballhawking numbers to shoot back up in 2024. If the defense can stay healthy, Fitzpatrick could be on his way to another All-Pro nomination.
39 • Minkah Fitzpatrick, Safety, Alabama
6-foot-1, 207 pounds, 27 years old, 7th Season
Acquired: The Steelers traded the team’s 2020 first-round pick, 2020 fifth-round pick, and 2021 sixth-round pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick, a 2020 fourth-round pick, and a 2021 seventh-round pick on September 16, 2019.
Last season: Minkah Fitzpatrick suffered an injury riddled season in 2023. Fitzpatrick started all 10 games that he appeared in and played just 550 defensive snaps, nearly 400 less than his next lowest total.
He totaled 64 tackles but did not force any turnovers as other injuries forced him to play inside of the box and not as the roaming safety.
Career: The Dolphins drafted Minkah Fitzpatrick with the 11th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft after he decided to forego his senior season at Alabama. Fitzpatrick competed for the starting safety job in training camp but ultimately started the season as a backup. Fitzpatrick recorded his first career start in Week 3 against the Oakland Raiders. His first interception came against the New England Patriots and Tom Brady in Week 4. Fitzpatrick ended his rookie season with 80 combined tackles and two interceptions on 944 defensive snaps.
Fitzpatrick started the first two games of the 2019 season with the Dolphins but requested a trade and noted that he felt like the team was playing him out of position. The Steelers traded for him before their Week 3 game against the San Francisco 49ers. Fitzpatrick immediately slotted in as the starting free safety and recorded his first interception as a Steeler in that game. In Week 8 against the Dolphins, Fitzpatrick hauled in an interception against his former team. He finished the 2019 season with 69 combined tackles, five interceptions (all on the Steelers), and one forced fumble.
After the season, Fitzpatrick was named to the Pro Bowl and an Associated Press First-Team All-Pro.
Fitzpatrick started all 16 games for the Steelers in 2020 as he played 1,021 defensive snaps and recorded 79 combined tackles, four interceptions, and one forced fumble. Fitzpatrick was named to his second straight Pro Bowl and Associated Press All-Pro First Team following the 2020 season.
In 2021, Fitzpatrick played a career-high 1,083 snaps as he started all 16 games for the Steelers. He finished the year with a career-high 124 total tackles, two interceptions, and one forced fumble. Pro Football Focus gave him the lowest grade (59.8) of his career following the 2021 season.
Following a down year in 2021, Fitzpatrick bounced back in a huge way for the Steelers last season. He started all 15 games that he appeared in and played 939 defensive snaps. In his 15 games, he tallied 96 total tackles and a career-high six interceptions. His six interceptions led the NFL in 2022.
Fitzpatrick single-handedly kept the Steelers in the game in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals as he recorded a pick-six and blocked a game-winning extra-point attempt at the end of regulation. The Steelers went on to win the game in overtime.
After the season, Fitzpatrick was named to the Pro Bowl and an AP All-Pro for the third time in his career.
Throughout his first six seasons in the NFL, Fitzpatrick has played in 89 games and started 84 of them. In his 89 appearances, Fitzpatrick tallied 512 tackles, 19 interceptions, four forced fumbles and 50 defended passes.
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Snaps | Tackles | Interceptions | FFs | PFF Rating |
| 2018 | MIA | 16 | 11 | 944 | 80 | 2 | 0 | 61.9 |
| 2019 | MIA | 2 | 2 | 116 | 12 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2019 | PIT | 14 | 14 | 930 | 57 | 5 | 1 | 79.8 |
| 2020 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 1,021 | 79 | 4 | 1 | 79.5 |
| 2021 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 1,083 | 124 | 2 | 1 | 59.8 |
| 2022 | PIT | 15 | 15 | 939 | 96 | 6 | 0 | 82.4 |
| 2023 | PIT | 10 | 10 | 550 | 64 | 0 | 0 | 71.3 |
College: Coming out of high school as the fourth-ranked cornerback according to ESPN, Minkah Fitzpatrick committed to the University of Alabama. Fitzpatrick played immediately as a true freshman as he appeared in 14 games in 2015 for the Crimson Tide. He helped lead Alabama to a National Championship victory against Clemson. Fitzpatrick recorded 45 total tackles, two interceptions, 13 passes defended, three tackles for loss, and two sacks as a true freshman. Both of his interceptions went the other way for touchdowns.
In 2016, Fitzpatrick played in 15 games for Nick Saban’s defense and finished the season with 66 combined tackles, six interceptions, 13 passes defended, five tackles for loss, and a sack. In a game against Arkansas, Fitzpatrick broke the school record for the longest interception returned for a touchdown (100 yards), and tied the school record for most interceptions in a single game (three) and most career interceptions returned for a touchdown (four). After the season, Fitzpatrick was named a Consensus All-American.
As a junior in 2017, Fitzpatrick won his second National Championship and was named a Consensus All-American for the second season in a row. In addition, Fitzpatrick won the Jim Thorpe Award and Chick Bednarik Award in 2017. He finished the season with 60 combined tackles, one interception, nine passes defended, eight tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.
Going down as one of the best defensive backs to ever play at Alabama, Fitzpatrick finished his collegiate career with 42 appearances for the Crimson Tide. He posted 171 combined tackles, nine interceptions, four pick-sixes, 35 passes defended, 16 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and two National Championships.
| Year | GP | TKLs | INTs | PDs | TFLs | Sacks |
| 2015 | 14 | 45 | 2 | 13 | 3 | 2.0 |
| 2016 | 15 | 66 | 6 | 13 | 5 | 1.0 |
| 2017 | 13 | 60 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 1.5 |
Salary cap and future: Minkah Fitzpatrick will cost $21.36 million against the Steelers cap space in 2024. His cap hit includes a $14.5 million salary and $6.86 million in bonuses. Fitzpatrick is signed with the team through the end of the 2026 season.
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