How Can Minkah Get Back To Being Minkah?
Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
When listing the top safeties in the National Football League, Minkah Fitzpatrick‘s name is near, if not at the very top of the list. The No. 11 pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 2018 draft, Fitzpatrick has been a big-time playmaker since his days in high school at St. Peters Prep in Jersey City, New Jersey.
If you paid any attention to the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, you know that their defense was decimated due to injury. Multiple players at nearly every position went down, including several season-ending maladies. Fitzpatrick wasn’t immune to the injury bug that plagued the Steelers.
The All-Pro safety missed four games midseason due to a hamstring injury. On top of that, he missed the final three regular-season games due to a knee injury. While he did return for the Steelers in their playoff game at Buffalo, the eye test would tell you he was compromised during that contest.
2023 was a lost season for Fitzpatrick. For the first time in his career, he didn’t record a single interception on the season. His three passes defended was also a career low. Some might think the seventh-year pro and four-time Pro Bowler out of Alabama might be losing a step. Not so fast. Fans should pump the brakes on that line of thinking, because there’s a path for Minkah to get back to being the Minkah we know and love.
First and foremost, it starts with the Black and Gold staying healthy in the back seven. With both Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander both going down with season-ending injuries, Pittsburgh was forced to scramble personnel. That meant using safeties as inside linebackers to try and compensate. While that didn’t mean Fitzpatrick changed positions in the Steelers’ base 3-4 defense, it did mean he had to spend much more time in the box trying to defend the run.
While he is a sure tackler, fighting off interior linemen is not his forte. Fitzpatrick is an excellent tackler, but he thrives at making those tackles in space. So while he performed admirably, he wasn’t at his best. While we can’t predict health, and we know injuries are bound to strike somewhere, some luck in 2024 should help Fitzpatrick stay in a position he excels at.
Personnel on defense was also an issue, as Pittsburgh was never able to get a solid No. 2 corner last season. This meant Fitzpatrick had to spend a lot of time shaded to that side of the field, taking him away from his usual role as a midfield ball hawk. Over the offseason, the Steelers have turned to trades (Donte Jackson) and free agency (Cam Sutton), which will hopefully alleviate this roster issue. Again, this will allow Fitzpatrick to be himself, which is more of a freelance player versus having to be fit into the wrong spot because of the limitations of others. Adding hard hitting safety Deshon Elliot to start opposite him at strong safety will also free up Fitzpatrick.
Teryl Austin Admits He ‘Failed’ Minkah Fitzpatrick In 2023, Wants Him Back At FS https://t.co/GoANFbOzJ5 #Steelers #Pittsburgh #NFL pic.twitter.com/o8pCcpgmfw
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) June 12, 2024
With the challenging schedule the Steelers are facing (rated the third toughest by Pro Football Focus), they are going to need Fitzpatrick back to his old self for the defense to work. With all the talented quarterbacks that Pittsburgh is set to face, having a solid secondary is a must. Fitzpatrick is the key to that. He is the quarterback of the defense. He makes sure everyone is lined up where they need to be. And as the free safety, he is also the last line of defense. Having him healthy and in his natural position is paramount.
Fitzpatrick has become a leader on the Steelers defense and has spoken about this being a bounce-back season. If he is free to make the type of game-breaking plays he’s routinely made in the past, the Steelers defense will once again be one of the best in the league.
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