This offseason has been full of surprises from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Perhaps the biggest shock was when the team traded Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins. There wasn’t much noise around Fitzpatrick being on his way out of Pittsburgh. He had been one of its best players. However, the Steelers saw an opportunity and took it. Dolphins general manager Chris Grier shared his reaction Wednesday to the Steelers being willing to part with Fitzpatrick.
“Honestly, I was shocked,” Grier said on the Dolphin’s YouTube channel. “I was very surprised that we were able to get him. But I do know that Pittsburgh had liked [Jalen] Ramsey a lot for what he could do, and his skill set because he’s a very good player as well.
“And getting Jonnu [Smith] for them, too, was important. The way you look at it is they got two players that they liked, and we got a player that we had coveted as well. It was a win-win, and we got a draft pick as well. Win-win for both teams.”
It didn’t seem like the Steelers were actively shopping Fitzpatrick, but the past two seasons weren’t his best. In that time, he’s only had interception, with his impact limited. Part of that is because of a combination of injuries and how the Steelers were using him.
The Dolphins don’t sound concerned about Fitzpatrick’s slight decline given his resumé. Fitzpatrick is a three-time first-team All-Pro and a five-time Pro Bowler. If the Dolphins can get him back to making plays on the ball, they could seriously upgrade their defense.
Also, Ramsey and Smith both wanted out of Miami. Things lined up perfectly for the Steelers and Dolphins to get a deal done. Omar Khan has said that the Steelers liked Fitzpatrick, but they saw a chance to acquire two quality players. That made them comfortable trading Fitzpatrick.
We’ll see if this deal works out for both teams. Like Fitzpatrick, Ramsey isn’t coming off his best year. Smith had a career year in 2024, but it remains to be seen if he can maintain that production. The Steelers are set to play the Dolphins in Week 15 this season, and hopefully, Smith and Ramsey can help them secure the win in that battle.
