The range of emotions Monday morning following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ trade for All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey and Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith for All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, going from elation to confusion and sadness, wasn’t just for fans.
Players were impacted too, including Steelers’ All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward.
Appearing on the latest episode of his podcast “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward” that published Tuesday morning, Heyward says he was “shocked” by the move to trade away Fitzpatrick, especially this late in the summer just three weeks out from training camp.
While Heyward is happy to add guys like Ramsey and Smith to the roster as the Steelers gear up to compete in 2025, there’s a hole left with the departure of Fitzpatrick on and off the field.
“You think that’s gonna be really cool to see those DBs just fly around, and then I got the gut-check of losing a really good teammate in Minkah Fitzpatrick,” Heyward said of the trade, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “…I don’t know how I feel about it. It’s bittersweet. I’ve enjoyed playing with him, and I was kind of just shook by it all. And so, what, today’s Monday?
“I’m excited about the new teammates, but I’m also sad to be losing a guy that I really respect in our locker room.”
When the trade news initially came through that the Steelers had acquired Ramsey via trade, there was quite a bit of excitement as the Steelers were very clearly going all in on the 2025 season after landing Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, not to mention big names like WR DK Metcalf and CB Darius Slay earlier in the offseason.
Ramsey remains a good talent, even if he is aging and there are questions about his fit still at outside corner, in the slot or if he needs to transition to safety. Adding him to the defensive backs room was a nice get for the Steelers and GM Omar Khan. But then, the news trickled in that Fitzpatrick was going back to Miami, while TE Jonnu Smith was coming to Pittsburgh as well.
The range of emotions was rather intense within the fanbase as there was shock, confusion, and then some concern. Other portions of the fanbase were thrilled as the Steelers seemingly moved off of a declining safety that has lacked splash play in recent years.
For Heyward, it’s tough losing a player like Fitzpatrick that is so respected and revered within the locker room and within the defense, especially after playing with him for five years and having some great moments together, on and off the field.
“It’s different. shocking, ’cause when we first traded for Minkah years back, I was pretty shocked by that,” Heyward added regarding the Fitzpatrick trade. “We don’t really trade first round picks. And then to bring in a guy like that of that stature, we were all very excited. …It’s gonna be different. Guys are gonna have to step up…The great thing about Jalen though is he is ball savvy. He is able to play multiple positions. You’ve seen him play safety, you seen him play corner, you’ve seen him play nickel. He provides that flexibility for defense.
“But man, didn’t expect to lose a teammate like that.”
Nobody expected to see Fitzpatrick traded away in a deal of this magnitude just three weeks before the team is set to report to training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. It’s a shocking trade, one that is quite bold from Khan and the Steelers’ front office.
But, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler shortly after the trade of Fitzpatrick, there were trade whispers surrounding the safety dating back to March. While the Steelers weren’t actively shopping Fitzpatrick, they found a deal that suited them, giving them a player in Ramsey who is more flexible in the secondary than Fitzpatrick was, which could allow them to do a bit more defensively.
So, in three weeks we’ll see how things look for the Steelers defensively with a pillar in Fitzpatrick gone, and another new face in Ramsey stepping in the mix. There will be a void within the locker room, though, as a key leader is gone in the blink of an eye in a good example of what football actually is: a business.
Check out the full episode of “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward” below.
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