Minkah Fitzpatrick is now a member of the New York Jets, but he spent the biggest part of his career as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Just over a year removed from the franchise, he spoke about his biggest regret during his stint with Mike Tomlin’s team, and why he stopped being a difference-maker in Steel City.
NFL World Reacts to Minkah Fitzpatrick’s Remarks
Minkah became a superstar from the moment he joined the Steelers. A first-round pick in 2018, after the Miami Dolphins entered a hard rebuild period in 2019, he asked to be moved, and Pittsburgh pounced at the opportunity. He was a First-team All-Pro in his first two years with the team, and got the same nod in 2022.
But Minkah didn’t have the same impact in 2023 and 2024, recording just one interception over the period. In an appearance on “The Pivot,” he revealed that he felt stagnated in his role as a deep safety, and this hampered his play, as the Steelers didn’t use his versatility well enough.
Steelers fans on social media were disappointed after hearing his comments. Steelers influencer “KalebBurgh” tweeted about how Fitzpatrick’s usage encapsulated Tomlin’s late career:
“Minkah feels like the perfect example of the latter Tomlin era. All-Pro playing a certain way, so naturally, they shove him into a different role that doesn’t suit him. I’ll never forget what they did to him”, he wrote.
Minkah feels like the perfect example of the later tomlin era. All-Pro playing a certain way so naturally they shove him into a different role that doesn’t suit him.
I’ll never forget what they did to him 💔💔💔 https://t.co/UnSoXJbYnA
— KalebBurgh Steelers (@SteelersWin109) August 11, 2026
Another user noted how the safety found a way against mentioning his former head coach and publicly criticizing him, despite being unhappy with the end of his tenure in Pittsburgh.
Minkah went a round abaht way to say that Mike Tomlin did a poor job deploying him properly to showcase his talents and ability to make splash. https://t.co/HA24GwHYUN
— SFI (@SFI412724) August 11, 2026
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Quandre Diggs, who spent the best part of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, echoed Minkah’s feelings about his usage in Pittsburgh:
— Nino (@qdiggs6) August 11, 2026
Two other Steelers influencers, who run the account “SteelTwins”, said they wanted the safety to remain with the franchise, as he would be a perfect fit for the new group.
“Man, I still wish Minkah was with the Steelers. There’s not many players that leave the team and I genuinely miss that player. Minkah is one of them. He’d fit so well in the new scheme”, they said.
Man I still wish Minkah was with the Steelers. There’s not many players that leave the team and I genuinely miss that player. Minkah is one of them. He’d fit so well in the new scheme. https://t.co/eItYpkwS6a
— SteelTwins (@SteelTwins) August 11, 2026
Fitzpatrick won’t return to the Steelers anytime soon.
After playing for the Miami Dolphins in 2025, he was traded for the third time in his career, but this time, he’ll play for the New York Jets. Ranked as the No. 21 safety in our PFN S Impact Metric in 2025, Minkah signed a three-year, $40 million extension with the Jets.
