From 2019 by means of 2022, Minkah Fitzpatrick was one of many NFL’s largest playmakers. An interception ready to occur, he was feared by opposing quarterbacks and those that challenged him paid the value. The final two seasons, Fitzpatrick hasn’t been the identical participant. With only one interception over his final 26 regular-season video games, Fitzpatrick appeared to trace at frustration throughout his last season with the Steelers.
NFL Community reporter Cameron Wolfe shared a dialog the 2 had throughout 2024.
“Can he play just a little bit extra a flexible position than he performed in Pittsburgh?” Wolfe stated on Friday’s The Insiders. “I talked to Minkah at one level midseason final yr and he’s like, ‘Man, I actually wanna get again across the ball.’ He performed free security, greater than 90 p.c of his snaps there.
“Perhaps Miami has a flexible position for him in thoughts and perhaps assist that younger secondary be capable to come into [its] personal early within the season.”
To be abundantly clear, these feedback didn’t come after June’s stunning commerce during which the Steelers dealt Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins for CB Jalen Ramsey, TE Jonnu Smith, and a 2027 decide swap. Fitzpatrick hasn’t spoken to the media because the commerce, although he’ll report back to Miami’s coaching camp Tuesday and sure communicate with reporters.
However Wolfe’s dialog opens a window into what Fitzpatrick was pondering throughout his interception drought, going 25 video games with no decide from the top of the 2022 season till Week 16 in 2024 in opposition to Baltimore.
In 2023, Fitzpatrick’s position was noticeably completely different. And not using a designated every-down robust security, he was compelled to play close to the road of scrimmage much more usually. That eliminated him from enjoying the cross and concentrated his mission on making tackles over interceptions. Repeated accidents performed an element too, limiting him to only 10 video games.
With DeShon Elliott added, Fitzpatrick returned to a more-familiar position in 2024. However for the primary half of the season, Pittsburgh lacked a flexible cornerback who may rotate with Fitzpatrick in apparent passing conditions, presenting new coverages and completely different shells for opposing quarterbacks whereas permitting Fitzpatrick to play nearer to the motion. Even after CB Cam Sutton returned from suspension to supply a few of that flexibility, it won’t have been utilized to the diploma Fitzpatrick hoped for (and Sutton was a catastrophe in protection).
In a twist of irony, Fitzpatrick’s return to Miami could possibly be to extend his versatility. The place he wished out in 2019 for being too versatile. There’s nonetheless no proof Fitzpatrick leveraged a commerce but when the Dolphins get inventive along with his utilization, he could possibly be happier in his position than what Pittsburgh had deliberate for him.
