When it was revealed that the Pittsburgh Steelers were trading safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins, Steelers fans were surprised.
Fitzpatrick was part of the deal that sent tight end Jonnu Smith and cornerback Jalen Ramsey to Pittsburgh. The two teams swapped late-round picks, also.
So, why did the Steelers part with Fitzpatrick?
Well, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette might have given some insight into why when he told 93.7 The Fan that Fitzpatrick played a role in the communication and chemistry issues the Steelers had on defense in 2024.
"[Ray Fittipaldo] says on [93.7 The Fan] that the Steelers communication issues and chemistry issues on defense were due in large part to Minkah Fitzpatrick," radio host Andrew Filliponi said on X.
"A lot of that was Minkah," Fittipaldo said, per Filliponi.
One thing we can say for sure is that Fitzpatrick's play has not been up to his usual standard the past two seasons.
After tallying two or more interceptions in each of his first five seasons, Fitzpatrick has just one combined the past two campaigns.
In 2024, Fitzpatrick's coverage numbers were downright awful, with the former No. 11 overall pick giving up a completion rate of 78.8% and a passer rating of 127.6.
It'll be interesting to see how the Steelers go about replacing Fitzpatrick.
Newly signed safety Juan Thornhill is an option, as is Ramsey, who some believe is better suited as a safety at this stage of his career.
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