Former NFL Safety Believes There Was 1 Specific Underlying Factor That Contributed To Steelers Trading Minkah Fitzpatrick

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been moving very uncharacteristically during the 2025 offseason. General Manager Omar Khan has been showing that he is not attached to players or assets, and he is willing to move on if the right deal is offered. He has been a part of many trades, including sending George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. Khan also completed a blockbuster deal to acquire DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks, and he sent Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith. The deal helped both the offense and defense for Pittsburgh, but some fans were sad to see Fitzaptrick go.

The clear concern after sending Fitzpatrick to Miami was the hole that the move created at free safety. It seems like whenever Pittsburgh fixes one issue on the roster, the organization is simultaneously creating a new one. However, this time around things are different. Ramsey has the versatility to play safety if it is needed, and Pittsburgh also made a smart signing in free agency when the organization brought in Juan Thornhill. 

Former NFL safety brought this point up on The Facility when discussing the outlook on Pittsburgh for the 2025 season, and he is higher on them than others.

"I'm going to give you another name: Juan Thornhill, the safety that they got, he has 74 starts, is a two-time Super Bowl champion." Blackmon said. "So, you lose Minkah, but you got a leader back there who knows exactly what to do, who knows exactly what it takes to win championships. And so I think, wholeheartedly, they got better. They got in a situation where they're gonna compete, they're gonna compete. I got them actually winning a playoff game this year and ending that drought."

Blackmon has been higher than other members of the media when discussing the Steelers since the blockbuster deal went down. He makes a great point that some people might be sleeping on the fact that Thornhill has been a formidable safety throughout his career on winning teams, and Ramsey could also fill that role when needed. 

Thornhill has started 74 games in his NFL career, and that type of experience and success probably made Pittsburgh feel more comfortable dealing Fitzpatrick. If Thornhill wasn't on the roster, the Steelers and Khan might have been more hesitant to push the deal through. The safety entered the league in 2019 with the Kansas City Chiefs, and he was a consistent starter at safety for them over a four-year span than saw him play in three Super Bowls, winning two of them.

After the Chiefs, Thornhill went to the Cleveland Browns. He played there for two seasons, but he powered through nagging injuries that caused him to miss some time and not play to his full potential. If he can return to form for Pittsburgh, the defense has the potential to be one of the best in the league. He won't be an All-Pro type of safety, but he is good enough to make the coaching staff feel comfortable with whatever they need to do.

Steelers' Need Thornhill To Return To Form In Pittsburgh

Thornhill will see the field, although he probably will not be a key starter. The organization wants Ramsey, Joey Porter Jr., and Darius Slay on the field at the same time, and the only way Thornhill might crack the starting lineup is if an injury pops up or if there is a certain reason for him to based on personnel. He had the best season of his career back in 2022 when he recorded three interceptions and 71 total tackles, and if Pittsburgh can get production that is similar to that, the team will be in good shape.

Smith and Ramsey make Pittsburgh better on both offense and defense, while Thornhill is also more than formidable in the defensive backfield. This could go down as the best move Khan has made in his short stint as general manager.

What do you think about Blackmon's comments? Let us know in the comments below!

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