The Pittsburgh Steelers have not exactly given the fan base confidence to start the 2025 season when it comes to the defensive unit. Both Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin have a lot of issues to resolve with a very tough stretch of games coming up in the near future. Because of the unexpected inconsistency that has come from the collective, the front office in the Steel City could decide to be active at the trade deadline to improve the defense, and not the offense, which completely turns several recent rumors on their heads. It could be an interesting couple of weeks as November 4th approaches.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan signs pictures for the fans as the team prepares to work out during a training camp practice in Latrobe, PA.
General Manager Omar Khan has not shied away from making splashes during his current role that began in May of 2022. He has been a part of several blockbuster trades, and at times, there have been acquisitions that came as major surprises to the majority of the NFL population. One of those occurred as recently as June, when Pittsburgh dealt Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins, which led to Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith ending up in the black and gold.
With the up-and-down play from the Steelers' defense, and especially the disastrous performance from the secondary against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7, the team could look to upgrade the highest-paid group in the league even more. This has led to plenty of speculation on social media and online that Khan could swindle Miami again and somehow re-acquire Fitzpatrick. This would lead to Pittsburgh having the last laugh... If it were legal.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport detailed back in 2024 why the Philadelphia Eagles couldn't trade back for defender Haason Reddick, who was having severe contractual issues with the New York Jets after being acquired. The media figure also made sure to dive into the fine print regarding the interesting rule the league has regarding such circumstances.
"A player who has been traded cannot return to the club that took that action until two seasons have elapsed, including in the season of the year in which he left the club," Rapoport posted on social media using a screenshot of the rule.
There are certain exceptions to the rule, such as Fitzpatrick being a waiver addition or free agent signing, but a trade is an absolute no-go. In essence, it is impossible for Khan and the Steelers to trade for Fitzpatrick, even if Pittsburgh desperately wanted the safety back. It would be quite hilarious for the him to end back up in the Steel City, given how much of a disaster the original deal would be viewed by Dolphins fans, but it won't be happening anytime soon.
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Former Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (#39) warms up on the field as Pittsburgh prepares to practice at St. Vincent College prior to a 2022 training camp practice in Latrobe, PA.
Fitzpatrick has had a respectable season for Miami, as the three-time All-Pro has 42 total tackles and five passes defended, along with an interception and fumble recovery each. Unfortunately, he got the short end of the stick. The Dolphins have only been victorious once, while the Steelers are sitting in a good spot in the AFC North and conference as a whole.
Khan could certainly be active as the trade deadline inches closer, and may even decide to target the defensive side of the ball, but any hopes that fans in the Steel City may currently have of Fitzpatrick returning to save the day should be put to rest. The league has rules in place for a reason, and this is one that simply cannot be worked around in any way, shape or form.
This isn't the first time Pittsburgh has had this rule be relevant. No one ever thought the team would have wanted to bring back Diontae Johnson after the Carolina Panthers were shopping him in 2024, but the Steelers needed wide receiver help. Regardless of what the internal thoughts were, it never happened because it wasn't allowed to transpire after Khan sent him to Carolina. Johnson ended up being acquired by the Baltimore Ravens.
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks to Colleen Wolfe on the field before the league's 2024 contest in Munich, Germany between the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers.
Steelers Traded Fitzpatrick For A Reason
While Pittsburgh's original move to bring in the veteran safety back in 2019 paid dividends, it was clear that the front office saw a lot more value in turning over the secondary throughout the 2025 offseason. The final piece to that puzzle was acquiring Ramsey, and letting Fitzpatrick go back to Miami. Even if there wasn't a rule prohibiting it, the notion that the Steelers would try to re-acquire Fitzpatrick just a few months after dealing him would not exactly be realistic.
Did you know that the Steelers cannot legally trade back for Fitzpatrick this early? Let us know in the comments below!
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