Steelers A to Z: Minkah Fitzpatrick seeks return of ‘Minkah ball,’ All-Pro production

Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2024 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 14 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

S MINKAH FITZPATRICK

Experience/age: Seventh season, 27

Contract status: $21.36 million cap hit in 2024, signed through 2026

The past: For someone who won’t turn 28 until just before Thanksgiving, Fitzpatrick has built himself quite a career résumé: three first-team AP All Pro berths, four times named to the Pro Bowl, 19 career interceptions, five career defensive touchdowns. Overall, a worthy trade acquisition in September 2019 by the Steelers in exchange for their 2020 first-round pick.

But after leading the NFL in interceptions with six in 2022, Fitzpatrick suffered his least productive season as a pro last year. Injury certainly played a role – Fitzpatrick missed seven of the final 10 games of the regular season because of separate hamstring and knee injuries. But Fitzpatrick did not have an interception, forced fumble or fumble recovery in 2023. (He’d averaged a combined six per season over his first five seasons with the Steelers.) As a result, for just the second time since he joined the team, Fitzpatrick was left off the AP’s All Pro teams at safety.

“Just let me play ball,” Minkah Fitzpatrick said. “That’s it. ‘Minkah Ball.’” https://t.co/42CT3pS6wV

— Tribune-Review Sports (@TribSports) June 9, 2024

2024 outlook: Fitzpatrick was compelled during summer workouts to vow for a return to what he called “Minkah ball” in 2024, referencing play-making and turnover generation. But Fitzpatrick’s lack of such “splash plays” in 2023 was in large part due to circumstances beyond his control. Aside from his own injuries, the Steelers’ safety and inside linebackers corps was decimated by injury and (in Damontae Kazee’s case) suspension. The instability around him forced Fitzpatrick to play a “safer” game. He was deployed much differently: According to Pro Football Focus, less than half of Fitzpatrick’s 2023 defensive snaps were out of the free safety position. In years past, the vast majority of his playing time was at free safety where he could roam the secondary from “center field” and search out turnover opportunities. Last season, Fitzpatrick was lined up at free safety just 49% of the time. He had career-high usage “in the box” (29%) and played more at slot corner (27%) than he had during any of his five seasons with the Steelers.

A healthier and more stable back half of the defense in 2024 should allow Fitzpatrick to return to his former style of play and duties. In turn, a return of the takeaways and the All Pro production would figure to follow.