Last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers decided not to take part in the quiet around the NFL world in late June. Pittsburgh sent Minkah Fitzpatrick back to the Miami Dolphins and acquired Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith in return, swapping late-round picks in 2027. This move will define the defense of both teams for years to come, and ESPN’s Booger McFarland thinks it may work out for both sides.
“Understand this, I think if you’re Miami and you look at what you’ve accomplished with Jalen Ramsey, you say okay, we can get Minkah Fitzpatrick back,” McFarland said on NFL Live on Wednesday. “And now we can get a playmaking safety, instead of a corner, who’s probably best suited to play inside, the slot position. Pittsburgh can probably use Jalen Ramsey a little better than they can use Minkah Fitzpatrick… So I think it’s a win-win for both teams.”
It’s now the second trade between the Steelers and the Dolphins involving Fitzpatrick. This time, Pittsburgh is sending him back, and they may have some things left to figure out in their secondary.
Although Fitzpatrick wasn’t making himself as apparent as Steelers fans are used to, he was still playing good football. Especially against the run, despite most of the defense struggling in that regard. In DeShon Elliott, the Steelers do have a great option. Starting next to him would be Juan Thornhill. He started his career with a great stint in Kansas City, but struggled to repeat that in Cleveland. His return to form is more of a question than an answer at this point.
One thing we do know is the Steelers are doing well at cornerback. Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, and Joey Porter Jr. may form the best cornerback trio in the NFL. Their play styles fit well together, with Slay and Porter both on the outside and Ramsey having experience on the inside.
Pittsburgh will need to decide exactly where Ramsey will spend his time. Despite there being a few reasons behind working Ramsey in at safety, some insiders don’t expect that to happen right off the bat. However, there’s more than enough talent in this group to make things work.
For Miami, it’s not a bad return either. They seemed destined to move Ramsey at some point this offseason anyway. Although losing Jonnu Smith might sting, Fitzpatrick still has some good football left in him and adds stability to the defense and locker room, both of which need it.
Over the next few years, this trade could be looked upon in many different ways. For now, it has the potential to be a rare win-win.
