The move made Monday morning by the Pittsburgh Steelers to trade away All-Pro safety and franchise pillar Minkah Fitzpatrick to acquire defensive back Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith was shocking.
Not for the fact that the Steelers added Ramsey and Smith, considering they both were discussed as a landing spot, but for the fact that they traded away Fitzpatrick. It sent shockwaves through the fanbase and the NFL Monday morning.
But according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, there were trade whispers regarding Fitzpatrick that started in March, and never really went away. All leading to the trade Monday morning, ending a five-and-a-half year run with the Black and Gold.
“Minkah Fitzpatrick still a top-10 safety, but evaluators around league have seen some decline, and trade whispers regarding his future first surfaced in March,” Fowler tweeted of Fitzpatrick following the trade to the Dolphins. “They’ve seen decline in Ramsey, too, but his versatility becomes valuable — he can play on outside, nickel or safety.”
Minkah Fitzpatrick still a top-10 safety, but evaluators around league have seen some decline, and trade whispers regarding his future first surfaced in March.
They've seen decline in Ramsey, too, but his versatility becomes valuable — he can play on outside, nickel or safety
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) June 30, 2025
Fitzpatrick came off of a tough 2024 season with the Steelers, which was part of a rough two-year stretch for the former All-Pro safety. He had just one interception last year, which came in Week 16 and snapped a 25-game stretch without an interception after recording six to lead the league during the 2022 season.
Along with the lack of splash for Fitzpatrick, there were plenty of issues with communication defensively, particularly in the secondary, which might have played a part in the trade to the Dolphins.
Linebacker Patrick Queen and safety DeShon Elliott both called out the defense after the Christmas Day loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, which led to plenty of speculation that it centered on Fitzpatrick, a key part of the secondary and the leader of the back-end.
But even with those comments calling out the defense from Queen and Elliott, Fitzpatrick never truly seemed to be the player they were referring to, with tape instead showing that former cornerback Cameron Sutton was often the player involved in the mess-ups over and over again.
Sutton wasn’t re-signed, and now Fitzpatrick is out the door, too, as the Steelers are betting big on Ramsey as a key piece in the secondary. Not to mention Smith as a big part of the offense, allowing the Steelers to run even more 12 and 13 personnel offensively with Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington at tight end under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, a coach that knows Jonnu Smith quite well.
Coming out of the 2024 season after another disappointment for Fitzpatrick, there was a lot of buzz locally about the Steelers potentially cutting Fitzpatrick, or even trying to trade him. However, the belief was there was no real market for him, and that the Steelers weren’t going to cut him loose.
Longtime Steelers’ beat writer Mark Kaboly even wrote in a mailbag that the Steelers had no concerns about Fitzpatrick at all and viewed him as a key leader and piece. Now, he’s off to Miami as the crazy offseason for the Steelers continues under GM Omar Khan.
Recommended for you