Steeler Nation was preparing for another heavy blow to the defense last night after S Minkah Fitpatrick was ruled out of the game with a chest injury.
However, according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, there is optimism that Fitzpatrick will be fine moving forward. Per Pelissero, the three-time Pro Bowler was released from the hospital Monday night after undergoing precautionary scans for a potential chest contusion, which ended up being negative.
Fitzpatrick left the Steelers’ 26-22 win over the Cleveland Browns following a 69-yard run by RB Jerome Ford early in the third quarter. Fitzpatrick landed hard on his chest after chasing Ford down to make a shoestring tackle, likely resulting in the chest injury that Fitzpatrick suffered. He did not return to the game.
For now, it looks that the Steelers can breathe a sigh of relief after what looked to be an ominous situation with their All-Pro safety. They have already lost DL Cameron Heyward for extended time with a groin injury, placing him on IR for at least the next several weeks. They couldn’t afford to lose another star player on defense in Fitzpatrick, who captains the secondary and had six total tackles before exiting the game.
Hopefully, Fitzpatrick can get back up to full health quickly as Pittsburgh visits the Las Vegas Raiders next on a short week after the Monday night thriller. Given the state of Pittsburgh’s run defense through two games as well as the inefficiencies again by the offense, Fitzpatrick’s presence is more crucial than ever. The playmaking safety can keep a lid on top of the defense as well as come up with splash plays, much like Pittsburgh lived off of defensively to tip the game in its favor. It will be telling to monitor the injury reports as well as hear Mike Tomlin speak at his weekly press conference later today to see what he says regarding Fitzpatrick’s status.
