The Pittsburgh Steelers had to improve this offseason on both sides of the ball. This became critically important when the secondary was spread thin as the 2023 season wore on. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick suffered injuries and missed time. Damontae Kazee was suspended, and Keanu Neal ended up on the injured reserve list.
Fitzpatrick has always been a consummate professional and an incredible competitor, so it surprised no one when he played willingly with a broken hand and moved all over the field. Fortunately, General Manager Omar Khan brought in some depth this offseason to hopefully allow Fitzpatrick to return to his former level of play.
According to Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin, that's precisely why most improvements were made to help Fitzpatrick get back to playing "Minkah ball." He can return to doing what he does best instead of trying to fill in gaps.
While Fitzpatrick might have been doing all he could to help his defense, his playing out position impacted his stat line and the game. For the first time in his career, Fitzpatrick had zero interceptions during the season. To put that in perspective, in 2022, he had six.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Christopher Carter recently had Assistant Sports Editor Adam Bittner on his North Shore Drive Podcast. Carter said he believes the Steelers have the number one safety group in the AFC North, assuming Fitzpatrick can return to his former level. Bittner concurs, but has one comment.
"I put them number one; the only caveat I'd give is there are no excuses for Minkah Fitzpatrick anymore," said Bittner. "You gotta get it done this year. So the question is, is he still that player for me? I have some level of faith that in that center-of-the-field role, he can be disruptive. It's been five years; it was before the pandemic when we really saw him be that guy."
Carter agrees with Bittner's concerns and thinks that if Fitzpatrick's performance returns to where it was in 2022, he will be the best safety in the NFL. Carter pointed out that the NFL is about "what have you done for me lately."
"Last year, he had to play in the slot so much, he had to play dime linebacker so much, he had to come up and help in the box so much. This year, because they've added Patrick Queen, because they've added all the pieces they've had at cornerback, and because they got DeShon Elliott, who also factors in here. He's in that role that Minkah Fitzpatrick had to do, and now that he doesn't, he can get back to being six interceptions a year, First Team All-Pro type of Minkah Fitzpatrick."
Fitzpatrick joined the Steelers early in 2019 from the Miami Dolphins, where he felt he was misused. It is hard to argue with his logic when his rookie stats don't represent the talent we saw once he was in black and gold.
Fitzpatrick made the Pro Bowl that first year in Pittsburgh and was named a First Team All-Pro. He was also a First Team All-Pro in 2020 and 2022. In addition, he was selected to four Pro Bowls, including in 2023, after having a less-than-perfect season.
Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick Isn't A Sure Bet According To PFF
Carter may believe that Fitzpatrick will return to being the top safety in the league, but Pro Football Focus (PFF) isn't so sure. They recently ranked Fitzpatrick fourth among all safeties heading into the season. They have Kyle Hamilton, Jessie Bates, and Antoine Winfield Jr. ahead of him. They noted that injuries slowed him, making it sound like the only significant change. Of course, PFF only looks at statistics, not context, as they mentioned his below 70.0 coverage grade.
