The Pittsburgh Steelers broke the NFL-world wide open on Monday morning when the franchise completed a trade with the Miami Dolphins that saw the Steelers acquire both Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith. Pittsburgh had to give up Minkah Fitzpatrick in the trade, which has made some members of the fan base in Pittsburgh pretty upset. Fitzpatrick has been a staple of the defense for the Steelers ever since he was acquired during the 2019 season, and now he gets to back to where he started his career. There was also a Day 3 pick swap in the 2027 NFL Draft included in the deal.
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Former Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey yells before an away game.
Fitzpatrick's play has declined over the last couple of seasons. In 2023, it was chalked up to injury issues, and the coaching staff even came out at certain points during the 2024 offseason stating that they weren't using Fitzpatrick in the best way. However, his play continued to decline in 2024, although he was still one of the better safeties in the league. Most fans didn't think there was anyway that the safety would not be on the roster in 2025, but it was reported by Jeremy Fowler after the trade was completed that this has been something that has been a possibility for a long time.
Minkah Fitzpatrick still a top-10 safety, but evaluators around league have seen some decline, and trade whispers regarding his future first surfaced in March.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) June 30, 2025
They've seen decline in Ramsey, too, but his versatility becomes valuable -- he can play on outside, nickel or safety
According to Fowler, Pittsburgh began to think about trading Fitzpatrick back in March. This likely happened around the time the NFL Combine kicked off, which would make sense considering nearly every league executive is under one roof at that event. Trade talks conspire, and Fitzpatrick's name was probably brought up.
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Former Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick makes a tackle during an away game against the Browns in 2024.
The perennial Pro Bowler had some great seasons with the Steelers, but he was not making the same impact as of late. When he first arrived back in 2019, he was a turnover machine. He recorded 17 interceptions in his first four seasons with the club, with three of those being returned for touchdowns. Over the last two seasons, that just wasn't happening anymore. It probably isn't entirely his fault, but some changes needed to be made to shake up the defense.
Pittsburgh also gets to bring in Ramsey, who could fix the problem at slot cornerback. It will be an interesting dynamic to watch at corner throughout the year, as both Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay are formidable players on the outside. The Steelers now have a hole at free safety, although, Juan Thornhill was added in free agency and has starting experience. Some other options that are still available on the open market include Justin Simmons or Marcus Williams.
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Former Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey deflects a pass intended for former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown that went to Jaguars strong safety Barry Church for an interception in the teams’ Oct. 8 game back in 2017.
Steelers Could Use Jalen Ramsey At Safety
Throughout the history of the NFL, there have been plenty of elite cornerbacks that have switched to safety in order to prolong their career. It is unclear if Ramsey plans to do that, but he does have the versatility to make a smooth transition. He is still playing well despite being on the wrong side of 30, and he has the potential to make a major impact behind Pittsburgh's stellar pass rush.
Another option could be putting Ramsey on the outside, and sliding Slay over to safety. He is the oldest cornerback on the roster, and it might be something he is interested in. Either way, it is a new problem that was created by the trade that the Steelers are going to need to find a solution to.
What do you think about the Steelers shopping Fitzpatrick back in March? Let us know in the comments below!
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