If the Pittsburgh Steelers want to take a step forward in 2025, especially on defense after a tough close to last season, a number of key players will have to step up on that side of the football. That includes the likes of inside linebacker Patrick Queen, cornerback Joey Porter Jr., and even outside linebacker T.J. Watt.
But no player needs to take a step forward and return to his high-end form on that side of the football more than safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Though he earned yet another trip to the Pro Bowl last season, Fitzpatrick had a quiet year and wasn’t his usual dominant self for the second season in a row, raising concerns about his game overall. For Pro Football Focus, Fitzpatrick is one of five former All-Pros who needs to have a bounce-back season in 2025.
“2024 was a step back for Fitzpatrick, who finished the year with a 65.2 PFF overall grade, which ranked 44th among safeties. He allowed a career-high five touchdowns in coverage while recording just one interception and three pass breakups,” PFF’s Ryan Smith writes. “He also finished the year with a career-low 69.5 PFF run-defense grade. The Steelers are loaded with defensive talent, especially along the line with T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, Alex Highsmith and 2025 first-round pick Derrick Harmon.
“Fitzpatrick’s ability to return to All-Pro form on the back end of the defense will be crucial for a team looking to clinch a playoff berth for the fifth time in six seasons.”
Last season was certainly a step back for Fitzpatrick and a continuation of a concerning trend for the star safety. After being a ball-hawking safety for much of his time in Pittsburgh, the takeaways and splash plays have dried up for Fitzpatrick.
He went 25 games between 2023 and 2024 before recording an interception, doing so in Week 16 against the Baltimore Ravens on the road, picking off Lamar Jackson to end the streak. After that game, he wasn’t keen to talk about the interception or ending the streak, considering the Steelers lost that game, but it was at least a sign that he could still do that in the NFL.
With DeShon Elliott locked up long-term next to him after reportedly signing an extension earlier in the week, the safety position looks great for the Steelers moving forward. But that also assumes that Fitzpatrick will return to his elite-level ways.
How the Steelers have deployed him in recent years certainly hasn’t helped. He’s back at free safety and playing quite a bit well off of the line of scrimmage, handling the centerfield role within the Steelers’ defense. While he keeps a lid on things, it’s not putting him in the best position to be aggressive and attack the ball like he has in the past.
The Steelers’ secondary should be better this year with the addition of Darius Slay and the change at position coach going from Grady Brown to Gerald Alexander, who wants to play a more aggressive style in the secondary. Hopefully that means more work for Fitzpatrick to move around and hunt.
Pittsburgh reportedly isn’t concerned about Fitzpatrick’s lack of splash plays and still views him as a leader and a key piece defensively. But if the Steelers want to get back to their dominant ways defensively and change games in the blink of an eye, their big-name safety needs to return to star-level play this season.
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