When you are a star player on a football team, oftentimes you have an understanding of what’s going on outside of your own responsibilities.
When you are S Minkah Fitzpatrick, you know what’s happening on both sides of the football.
Fitzpatrick has been praised for his high football IQ on several different occasions since arriving in Pittsburgh back in 2019, being commended for his knowledge of the game and how quickly he picks things up on the football field. CB Levi Wallace has mentioned that Fitzpatrick would change play calls because he didn’t like the coverage look against a certain offensive grouping, seeing something the coaches and the rest of the defense doesn’t.
Speaking on Not Just Football With Cam Heyward, Steelers OC Matt Canada was asked about Fitzpatrick and what sticks out to him about the All-Pro safety.
“I mean, he’s just such a smart football player,” Canada said on Not Just Football with aired on the show’s YouTube channel. “He’s unbelievably talented physically. But I think, and it would be the same with him, he’s just so smart. I mean, he just has ability to see it all and he makes us better. Kenny [Pickett] spends a lot of time talking to him. I talk to him. I think there’s the things that all you guys see as we get through, you know, we’re almost outta camp. I think to have really smart guys on the other side and be able to use that for our advantage is a good thing. So, I’m glad he is with us too.”
In many ways, Minkah Fitzpatrick is this generation’s version of Troy Polamalu for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Polamalu was also commended for his instinctiveness as a player, often seeing something from the opposing offense and making a change on the fly to make a splash play for the defense. Fitzpatrick tends to operate in the same way, often sticking to his job, but he will also let his instincts to take him to the football to create turnovers.
When you have a player as smart as Fitzpatrick on your football team, it can be a great benefit to have members of your offense talk to him about what he sees and how he reacts to what they show him in practice. It’s great to hear that Pickett and Canada speak with him often to pick his brain on how to better execute plays against the defense and where Fitzpatrick may see potential issues with what they are trying to run.
Football can be a game of chess, not checkers, and Fitzpatrick is a master chess player. He is a huge benefit to Pittsburgh’s defense, completely changing the landscape of the secondary with his presence. He also forces the offense to improve by facing him every day in practice, going against possibly the best safety in football, one who can pick up on tendencies quickly. Having a player that smart is invaluable to a football team, and while Canada may coach the offense, he sees the immense value Fitzpatrick brings to the table for the Steelers.
