As the Pittsburgh Steelers scheme for the 2024 NFL season, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has one request.
“Just let me play ball,” Fitzpatrick said during Pittsburgh’s offseason program. “That’s it. Minkah-ball.”
In the former Alabama All-American’s view, he didn’t play Minkah-ball in 2023, and Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has taken the blame for that.
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“As coaches, our job is to try to get all of our guys in the best positions possible so they can play as well as they can and play up to their abilities,” Austin said. “And so last year I probably failed in that regard. We tried to have him do too much stuff, and I’m going to get back to what really makes him special. …
“My job is to get him in the place where he can perform because when he performs at his highest level, it helps us, it makes us better.”
The most glaring evidence for the lack of Minkah-ball last season could be seen in the zeroes on Fitzpatrick’s stat sheet. In his first five NFL seasons, the three-time first-team All-Pro had 19 interceptions, five fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles. In 2023, he didn’t record any of those.
“To get him back to Minkah-ball, as he would say,” Austin said of his goal for the safety in 2024. “Minkah’s at his best when he’s playing back a little bit deeper, seeing things and able to react and see the game because he sees it really fast. And so my job is to try to keep him back there as much as possible, keep him out of situations where he’s blitzing and doing that stuff. Not that he can’t, but he’s better doing the other things.
“And that’s where the other additions come in. You got guys that are able to handle some of those duties he kind of picked up last year, so we’re going to have other guys do those duties and let Minkah get back to where he’s really – and not good – exceptional.”
During the offseason, Pittsburgh signed Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Queen from the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins starting safety DeShon Elliott in free agency. Linebacker Payton Wilson, a unanimous All-American at North Carolina State in 2023, came aboard in the NFL Draft. Cornerback Donte Jackson came over in the trade of wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers.
“I think we have a lot of talent, we have a lot of experience, we have a lot of guys who can do different things,” Fitzpatrick said, “and I think if the goal is to put the best players in the best positions, then I think we have the right roster for it. …
“As many great players as we can get on the field is going to help Minkah play Minkah-ball.”
Of the additions, Austin said: “No matter who’s in there, Minkah’s going to get back to being Minkah.”
Before 2023, Fitzpatrick had missed three games in his NFL career. Last season, Fitzpatrick missed four November games with a hamstring injury and the final three regular-season games with a knee injury before making it back to the field for the playoffs.
“I’m not worried about Minkah-ball, to be quite honest with you,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. “It’s just about availability. We get him in a helmet consistently, those plays that we’ve known him to make and have come to appreciate will be there.”
At Alabama, Fitzpatrick was a two-time consensus All-American. He won the Bednarik Award as the nation’s best defensive player and the Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back for the Crimson Tide’s CFP national-championship team in 2017.
The Steelers are scheduled to report for training camp on July 24 at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh kicks off its three-game preseason schedule on Aug. 9 against the Houston Texans and starts its regular-season slate on Sept. 8 against the Atlanta Falcons.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at@AMarkG1.