Minkah Fitzpatrick, once seen as part of the Steelers’ nucleus, is back in Miami, but is that Pittsburgh’s fault? While they haven’t commented on the trade, it’s reasonable to deduce they felt his production waned relative to his pay. Steelers owner Art Rooney II’s cousin, however, blames the coaching staff for this mess.
“Either Minkah [Fitzpatrick] has lost a tremendous amount in the last two or three years in terms of ability, or they were not using him correctly.” Patrick Rooney Jr. said of the Steelers. “My belief, as you know what I think of the coaching staff, is they probably weren’t using him correctly.”
Patrick Rooney Jr., the grandson of Steelers founder “The Chief” Art Rooney, is the son of Patrick Rooney Sr., a brother to Dan Rooney. If my Irish math is correct, that makes him a first cousin of current Steelers president Art Rooney II. Entirely unaffiliated with the team, however, he voiced his unfiltered views on the Palm Beach Kennel Club podcast. He had plenty to say about a lot more than just Minkah Fitzpatrick, but it appears they retained this episode. I can’t imagine why.
“The Dolphins might get a little bump getting Minkah [Fitzpatrick] back, again, if they use him better than [the Steelers] were using him,” Rooney added. “But the problem is, when you bring Ramsey in, if you weren’t using Minkah right, who’s gonna say that you’re using Ramsey right?”
Granted, there are valid criticisms about how the Steelers have deployed Fitzpatrick at one time or another. Even he has vacillated, however, on what he feels best serves his skills. At one time or another, he has expressed a desire to remain stationary or to move around. Regardless of methods, he never truly returned to the “Minkah ball” that earned him All-Pros and a fat contract.
Perhaps the most interesting note here, however, is the way Rooney expressed his views. In saying to his hosts that “know what I think of the coaching staff”, this is clearly a pattern of criticism for the Steelers’ developmental tools they have in place. Granted, they helped nurture Minkah Fitzpatrick’s rapid ascent into a Pro Bowler, but top-end talents are hard to screw up.
Yet Patrick Rooney feels the Steelers managed to do that over the past couple of years with Fitzpatrick. Since leading the league in interceptions in 2022, he has only one, plus one forced fumble. He battled injuries in 2023, but he started every game last season. He even expressed surprise upon learning that he made the Pro Bowl, anyway.
The Steelers won’t necessarily look bad if Minkah Fitzpatrick blossoms in Miami, though. They already know he is a talented player, but they believe Jalen Ramsey is, too. This was essentially a player-for-player trade, so as long as they get what they want out of Ramsey, it is, at worst, a win-win.
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