When it comes to the best safeties in the NFL, few find themselves in the same discussion as Pittsburgh Steelers’ star Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Though he had a relatively down season in 2023 due to a number of injuries, including a pulled hamstring, a knee injury, and a broken hand, which sapped some of his production and availability, when Fitzpatrick was healthy and on the field, he was a true game-changer for the Steelers.
That’s been the case since he was traded from the Miami Dolphins in 2019, giving the Steelers that star safety they had been missing on the defense since the heydays of Troy Polamalu. Since putting on the Black and Gold, Fitzpatrick has put himself on a Hall of Fame pace, putting together three First-Team All-Pro seasons and four trips to the Pro Bowl.
He also was the co-leader in interceptions in the NFL in 2022 and earned the Bart Starr Award.
Even despite the tough season in 2023, Fitzpatrick is still highly regarded at the position. In fact, former NFL safety and current NBC Sports analyst Rodney Harrison believes Fitzpatrick is still the best safety in the NFL today, even comparing him favorably to Hall of Famers Charles Woodson and Rod Woodson.
“He can play safety, he can play corner. This is a guy that literally reminds me of Charles Woodson. And I told Charles, I said, ‘I believe that you and Rod Woodson are the two guys that could play every position in the secondary and be an All-Pro.’ And that’s Minkah Fitzpatrick,” Harrison said to NBC Sports’ Devin McCourty, according to video via NFL on NBC on YouTube. “He could be a cornerback left and right because he studies, he prepares, he works. He’s a great team guy. He is just a fantastic player.
“He’s like you [McCourty]. He’s got corner skills, safety instincts, toughness, and the ability to do it all. He’s just a fantastic player.”
That is lofty praise from Harrison, comparing him to two of arguably the best defensive backs to ever play the game at multiple positions in the Woodsons.
Prior to coming to the Steelers via trade, Fitzpatrick wasn’t happy with the way he was being used by then-Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. He was playing all over the place and wasn’t able to settle into a true role. That changed in Pittsburgh as he slotted in at free safety and thrived.
When he’s been at his best in Pittsburgh, he’s been that centerfield safety, thriving in the robber role, jumping routes, and making plays on the ball. In recent years, he’s had to wear more hats in a secondary undergoing a bunch of changes, but he’s still played at an exceptionally high level.
Hopefully, with better health and some added talent around him in the secondary this offseason, Fitzpatrick can get back to the elite level the Steelers and their fans are used to. If he does, Pittsburgh could really find its defense playing at an elite level and putting the Black and Gold in contention once again.
