On the defensive side of the ball, things will look much different for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025. Potentially the biggest departure of the offseason is Minkah Fitzpatrick, traded to the Miami Dolphins on Monday. Without him, many worry about the Steelers’ depth at safety. Speaking on The Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday, former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher recognized just how big of a loss Fitzpatrick is.
“Losing Minkah, he will be lost,” Cowher said. “He was a great ambassador, he was a great leader in that locker room. He loved the game of football.”
When trades like this happen, the first thing many think of is the impact on the field. Sometimes, the impact off the field is just as important. And the Steelers’ locker room might struggle to deal with losing Fitzpatrick, who’s been a part of the Steelers’ veteran core for several years now. Even Cam Heyward, with all his experience in the league, wasn’t expecting to lose Fitzpatrick.
That said, players understand as well as anyone that the league is a business. And coming off the past two seasons, the writing may have been on the wall for Fitzpatrick. After leading the NFL in interceptions with six in 2022, Fitzpatrick has just one over his last two seasons. He wasn’t great in pass coverage last year, and lacked the same knack for creating turnovers. Now, the Steelers have moved the veteran safety for someone they feel is more versatile in Jalen Ramsey.
However, the alignment on the defense comes with complications. Ramsey may be capable of making the transition to safety, but it’s not an easy move to make. Fortunately, Cowher feels that the Steelers already have some solid depth there.
“[Juan] Thornhill, I think, is a guy that can step in,” Cowher said. “He played for Kansas City, I know he’s been hurt the last couple of years in Cleveland. I think he’s a guy that’s been a starter. And DeShon Elliott has been very, very solid.”
If Thornhill has a good 2025 season, acquiring him might be one of the better under-the-radar moves throughout the entire offseason. Given the fact that there were whispers about moving Fitzpatrick months ago, the Steelers may have signed Thornhill with this trade in mind. Thornhill had a tough time with the Cleveland Browns, but he had a very nice start to his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. He’ll be alongside DeShon Elliott, who just earned an extension thanks to an impressive 2024 season.
No doubt, the Steelers’ are losing a key pillar at safety in Fitzpatrick. However, the move might have come at the right time. Pittsburgh has two solid options in Thornhill and Elliott. They also have undrafted rookie Sebastian Castro, who’s already impressing. With Ramsey’s positional flexibility, moving Fitzpatrick could actually open things up on the Steelers’ defense going forward.
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