Sometimes the sport of football can be brutal in that players spend several months preparing themselves to have the best season of their career only to have injuries derail all of the hard work. Pittsburgh Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick experienced some of that for the first time in his six-year NFL career. Having played at least 14 games in every season prior, he only saw the field in 10 games during the 2023 season due to hamstring and knee injuries.
Every player reacts to these setbacks in different ways, but from the sounds of it, Fitzpatrick made the most of his time on the sideline. He recently gave an interview with Teresa Varley on the Steelers team website to discuss the challenges from the 2023 season and what he learned from them.
“It was my first year and hopefully my last year where I’ve sat a significant amount of time,” Fitzpatrick said. “I just tried to embrace it. I tried to still learn from that position, that stance. Even though I wasn’t playing, there were still ways I was trying to get better, whether it be on the field or off the field.”
The Steelers faced several challenges during the season with the leadership and production issues on offense and the rash of injuries on defense that decimated the inside linebacker and safety positions. Even though he couldn’t be a leader on the field, Fitzpatrick stayed engaged and made sure he was still fulfilling his duties as a team leader.
“I tried to really stay engaged, not in the sense of being vocal or constantly communicating, but being where my feet are,” Fitzpatrick said. “Paying attention to what people in the locker room, in this building say…whether it’s subtly or in your face, I was trying to take heed of everything that was going on and trying to correct some things that were being talked about. I had the necessary conversations.”
There was a lot of talk throughout the season of the Steelers losing their way, amplified by a three-game losing streak in December to put their season at risk. There was also the unprecedented move of firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada in the middle of the season. These things can take a toll on the locker room, but Fitzpatrick stayed engaged as a leader throughout.
He had some level of impact on the field, too, even when he was not on it. In the Steelers’ Week 10 game, the Green Bay Packers had the ball with little time remaining in the fourth quarter and down by less than a score. Fitzpatrick and DBs coach Grady Brown helped convince defensive coordinator Teryl Austin to change the call on defense, which led to a Damontae Kazee interception to seal the Steelers’ victory.
When healthy and in the grind of the regular season of watching tape, attending meetings, rehabbing your body, and preparing to play as the starter, some of the minor details can fall by the wayside. Fitzpatrick took his opportunity while injured to slow things down and soak in all the minor details that go into a successful football team.
