Minkah Fitzpatrick

Largest 2025 Cap Hits: Defense

July 4th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2025 offseason has been defined in no small part by extensions amongst the league’s top edge rushers. A number of high-profile situations on that front remain unresolved at this point, which will make for interesting storylines over the coming weeks. Still, pass rushers once again account for some of the top cap charges around the NFL.

Just like on offense, here is a breakdown of the top 25 defensive cap hits in 2025:

Maxx Crosby, DE (Raiders): $38.15MM
T.J. Watt, OLB (Steelers): $30.42MM
DeForest Buckner, DT (Colts): $26.6MM
Daron Payne, DT (Commanders): $26.17MM
Rashan Gary, OLB (Packers): $25.77MM
Montez Sweat, DE (Bears): $25.09MM
Denzel Ward, CB (Browns): $24.56MM
Micah Parsons, DE (Cowboys): $24.01MM
Derwin James, S (Chargers): $23.86MM
Roquan Smith, LB (Ravens): $23.72MM
Dexter Lawrence, DT (Giants): $23.64MM
Chris Jones, DT (Chiefs): $23.6MM
Jeffery Simmons, DT (Titans): $22.7MM
L’Jarius Sneed, CB (Titans): $22.58MM
Vita Vea, DT (Buccaneers): $22.47MM
Minkah Fitzpatrick, S (Dolphins): $22.36MM
Jonathan Greenard, DE (Vikings): $22.3MM
Jessie Bates, S (Falcons): $22.25MM
Myles Garrett, DE (Browns): $21.92MM)
Quinnen Williams, DT (Jets): $21.59MM
Jaylon Johnson, CB (Bears): $21MM
Nick Bosa, DE (49ers): $20.43MM
Kenny Clark, DT (Packers): $20.37MM
Danielle Hunter, DE (Texans): $20.2MM
Zach Allen, DE (Broncos): $19.8MM

Crosby briefly held the title of the league’s highest-paid pass rusher when his latest Raiders extension was signed. That $35.5MM-per-year pact was quickly overtaken in value, but it put to rest speculation about a potential trade. Now fully healthy, Crosby’s level of play in 2025 will be critical in determining Vegas’ success.

Garrett currently leads the way in terms of AAV for edge rushers (and, in turn, all defensive players). He landed $40MM in annual compensation from the Browns in a deal which ended his long-running trade request. The four-time All-Pro sought a change of scenery to a Super Bowl contender but then altered his stance following communication with Cleveland’s front office. Garrett is now on the books through 2030.

Other notable pass rushers face an uncertain future beyond the coming campaign, by contrast. That includes Watt, who is not close to reaching an agreement on a third Steelers contract. The former Defensive Player of the Year is reported to be eyeing a pact which will again move him to the top of the pecking order for pass rushers. He thus finds himself in a similar situation to fellow 30-year-old All-Pro Trey Hendrickson with the Bengals.

While Hendrickson is believed to be aiming for a new deal similar in average annual value to those like Bosa and Hunter’s, Parsons could leapfrog Watt atop the pecking order by the time the season begins. Little (if any) progress has been made since Parsons and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reached a handshake agreement on the framework of a deal. Time remains for a pact to be finalized before training camp; failing that, the possibility of a hold-in will increase.

Recent years have seen a major spike in the valuation of interior defensive linemen capable of producing against the pass. It comes as no surprise, then, to see a multitude of D-tackles on the list. Buckner and Chris Jones are among the veterans with the longest track record of success in terms of sacks and pressures (along with disruptive play against the run, of course). Payne, Lawrence, Simmons and Williams were among the players who helped moved the position’s market upward with similar second contracts during the 2023 offseason.

Gary, Sweat and Greenard will again be counted on to lead the way in terms of pass rush production for their respective NFC North teams. Green Bay, Chicago and Minnesota each have upside elsewhere on the depth chart, but expectations will remain high for those three based on their lucrative deals. The highly competitive division will no doubt come down to head-to-head games, and they will be influenced in large part by the performances of each defense.

The cornerback market reached $30MM per year this offseason thanks to Derek Stingley Jr.‘s Texans extension. Given the term remaining on his rookie pact, though, his cap charge for this season checks in at a much lower rate than that of teammates like Hunter or other top CBs. Ward and Jaylon Jones are on the books through 2027, and the same is true of Sneed. The high-priced Tennessee trade acquisition did not enjoy a healthy debut season with his new team in 2024, but he appears to be set for full participation in training camp.

Safety and linebacker are among the positions which have witnessed slower growth than others recently. Still, a few top performers are attached to deals landing them on this list. Smith has been a first-team All-Pro performer during his tenure with the Ravens; he will be expected to remain one in 2025 and beyond. James and Bates will likewise be counted on as key playmakers in Los Angeles and Atlanta. Fitzpatrick will, interestingly, return to his original team after being part of the blockbuster Steelers-Dolphins trade from earlier this week.

Vea helped the Buccaneers rank fourth against the run last season while Clark and the Packers finished seventh in that regard. Both veterans have multiple years remaining on their deals, although in both cases the final season does not include guaranteed money. Vea and/or Clark could thus find themselves discussing an extension next offseason.

Allen is among the players listed who could have a new deal in hand before Week 1. The former Cardinal is coming off a career-best 8.5 sacks from the 2024 season. To no surprise, then, Allen is high on Denver’s list of extension priorities, and it will be interesting to see if the pending 2026 free agent works out a new pact prior to the start of the campaign.

Latest On Recent Dolphins Trades

July 4th, 2025 at 7:59pm CST by Ely Allen

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero made an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show yesterday, in which he gave some keen insight on two recent trades made by the Dolphins with the Steelers and Giants.

Pelissero started by underlining the influence Jalen Ramsey had held in Miami, noting his impact on former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio‘s dismissal from the team. We had noted, shortly after Fangio’s departure was finalized, that Ramsey and a few other defensive backs had expressed issues with the defensive play-caller, and Pelissero confirmed as much, pointing out that the two never clicked due to Fangio’s inflexibility in putting Ramsey in the best position to succeed.

He goes on to say that, while discussions with the Steelers had been ongoing, there was always doubt about whether or not Ramsey would accept Pittsburgh as a trade destination. From the Jaguars to the Rams to the Dolphins, Ramsey has never played for a cold-weather team, and the prevailing assumption was that a return to Los Angeles was most likely. Ultimately, the Rams seemingly lacked the cash and cap space to take on Ramsey’s contract, and while the Chargers exchanged several calls with Miami, they never found a deal that interested them.

Mostly, the Dolphins were focused on player-for-player trades. Knowing how big of a deterrent Ramsey’s contract was for potential trade partners, the team knew that it would have to take on a big salary in return. With that in mind, they turned back to Pittsburgh to reunite with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. They’ll now take on the two remaining years on Fitzpatrick’s contract, which doesn’t contain any guarantees. In fact, if his doesn’t work out on the team in 2025, they can cut him with only $6.86MM in dead money in order to obtain $17.6MM in cap savings.

In order to sweeten the pot and bring the Steelers back to the table, they included Jonnu Smith. Smith is an apparent favorite tight end of Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The two were in Atlanta together in 2023 and will reunite after a career year for the tight end. Smith’s recent production and Fitpatrick’s declining production made taking on Ramsey’s contract a bit more palatable for Pittsburgh. As a result, Pittsburgh extended Smith for another year elevating his annual average salary from $4.2MM on the original two-year deal to $6.8MM per year over three seasons with the extension.

Ramsey also received some money from the trade, Pelissero explains. While, technically, he isn’t receiving any additional funds from the Steelers or Dolphins, he was owed $1.5MM of his salary from Miami this year and $1.5MM of his salary in 2026, as well. With the trade taking place, the Dolphins essentially advanced the $3MM to Ramsey upfront, while the Steelers take on the remainder of Ramsey’s contract.

Pelissero also spoke on the team’s acquisition of formerly retired tight end Darren Waller, a trade, he says, that materialized relatively quickly. Waller and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, reportedly reached out to the Giants last week, telling them that Waller was either going to go play for the Dolphins or stay retired. To his credit, general manager Joe Schoen did not press Waller or try to convince him to stay. Instead, he took his prize of a 2026 sixth-round pick in exchange for a player he knew wasn’t going to contribute to his team ever again.

Waller’s fit in Miami is already obvious, following the departure of Smith for Pittsburgh, but it works out even more once one digs deeper. Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith was the tight ends coach of the Raiders for the first three years of Waller’s tenure in Oakland and Las Vegas. These were the years that saw Waller break out from a fizzled-out Baltimore late-round receiver to a Pro Bowl tight end. Peliserro claims Waller’s relationship with Smith is “unique” and that they’re “like brothers.” Especially with Waller’s troubled history, having a coach he can trust makes his unretiring make much more sense.

In terms of Waller’s impact on the offense, it seems like it could be another strong fit. Waller’s size and ball-control style of play match well with another offseason addition in wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Both players should be excellent compliments to the speed elsewhere on the offense in Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and De’Von Achane, granted Waller can return to a high level of play after sitting out for a full season of NFL play.

Even if Waller can’t, all it cost the Dolphins to find out was a sixth-round pick next year. In order to offload Ramsey and his contract, the team had to part ways with Smith and replace him with Waller for a 2026 sixth-rounder. They take on Fitzpatrick’s contract, as well, but a year from now, the team could be free of both players’ contracts, and virtually no hint of the Ramsey fallout will remain.

Dolphins Trade Jalen Ramsey To Steelers For Minkah Fitzpatrick

June 30th, 2025 at 10:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jalen Ramsey trade saga is coming to an end. The All-Pro corner is on the move, but not out west as many predicted.

The Dolphins have reached agreement with the Steelers on a Ramsey swap, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. Pittsburgh recently emerged as the most recent team likely to be eliminated from the list of landing spots in this case, but a trade has nevertheless been worked out and is now official. Ramsey will receive a $3MM bump in pay as part of this deal.

With the Dolphins paying $7MM of the $26.6MM Ramsey was owed this season, Rapoport reports the Steelers will be responsible for the remainder of that total. Pittsburgh will thus pay him $19.6MM in 2025.

Adding an unexpected layer to this blockbuster deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is headed the other way in the swap. Fitzpatrick began his career in Miami, and the former first-rounder was dealt to the Steelers in 2019. He will now return to his original team for 2025. This represents the first time since 2002 there have been players with five or more Pro Bowl nods traded for one another (h/t Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports).

Rapoport notes the Rams and Steelers were the two main Ramsey suitors, with Los Angeles long representing the expected destination in this situation. He adds Pittsburgh was out of the running until very recently, but that has obviously changed rather quickly. Ramsey himself has confirmed that he is headed to the Steelers, which will be his fourth career team.

The three-time All-Pro spent the past two seasons in Miami, rebounding from his injury-shortened 2023 campaign to play a full slate last year. Ramsey appeared set to remain in South Beach for the foreseeable future when he agreed to a lucrative extension last offseason, but a falling out with head coach Mike McDaniel led to the mutual decision a parting of ways would be best. Ramsey was on the trade block through the spring, but the list of suitors publicly expressing interest proved to be rather short.

Rams head coach Sean McVay made it clear the team was open to a Ramsey reunion (after he helped the team win the Super Bowl in 2021). Finances were a sticking point in this case, however. The seven-time Pro Bowler has already received a $4MM roster bonus from Miami, but his outstanding $21MM-plus in compensation for the year is guaranteed. Ramsey is on the books for another three yeas after the coming campaign, but an adjustment to his pact has been expected upon arrival with an acquiring team.

Despite a limited market emerging, the Dolphins remained steadfast in their desire to move on from Ramsey. The 30-year-old has proven to be one of the league’s top corners over the course of his career, although age will become a concern during his Steelers tenure. Nonetheless, Pittsburgh’s CB depth chart now includes another standout veteran after the team added Darius Slay in free agency. Those two will join returnee Joey Porter Jr. in a secondary which will look much different in 2025.

Fitzpatrick only played 18 games during his first Dolphins tenure. Expectations were high for the former No. 11 pick, but his departure came about as part of the team’s maneuvering in advance of the 2020 draft (which brought about the selection of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa). Upon arrival in Pittsburgh, Fitzpatrick shone and earned first-team All-Pro honors. He remained productive through the following years.

However, things took an unwanted turn following the 2022 campaign (one in which Fitzpatrick recorded a league-leading six interceptions). Over the past two seasons, the Alabama product has been limited to just one pick and seven pass deflections while operating in different areas on the field. A five-time Pro Bowler, Fitzpatrick will aim to return to his previous form during his second Dolphins stint. His original team has a notable vacancy at the cornerback spot, but he will provide starting play at the safety position.

Two years remain on Fitzpatrick’s contract, and he is set to carry cap charges of $22.36MM and $24.46MM as things stand. With none of his remaining base salaries guaranteed, the Steelers will create $15.5MM in savings while generating a dead money charge of only $6.86MM. Those figures will help absorb the incoming Ramsey pact.

Pittsburgh has made a number of aggressive moves this offseason, deviating from standard operating procedure. The additions of Aaron Rodgers and D.K Metcalf were aimed at upgrading on offense, a unit which has been further augmented with today’s blockbuster. Ramsey will aim to further fuel the team’s Super Bowl aspirations for what will likely be a one-and-done Rodgers season. The Dolphins, meanwhile, will move forward in 2025 with a much different core in terms of veterans on both sides of the ball.

S Minkah Fitzpatrick To Benefit From Positional Consistency

June 30th, 2025 at 7:15pm CST by Ely Allen

In today’s headline-grabbing trade, the Dolphins gave up a lot to bring back safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a late-round pick swap in next year’s draft. While Miami is welcoming back a three-time first-team All-Pro defender who has qualified for five Pro Bowls, including the last three, Fitzpatrick isn’t viewed quite as highly as he has been in the past. He sought a trade from the team that drafted him because of issues with his role on the defense, but now, he should benefit from a return to his first team because of the role that they need him to fill.

As ESPN’s Brooke Pryor points out, part of the reason Fitzpatrick became an expendable piece of the Steelers defense is because his production in the past two seasons did not quite justify his $22MM cap hit in 2025. His 2023 struggles seemed to be the result of injuries and an expectation for Fitzpatrick to play a bit out of position. The 2023 campaign saw a significant increase of his snaps in the box for the first time in his career, and as a result, he failed to contribute any game-changing moments, as he was not in his usual position to do so.

This same type of issue is what led to Fitzpatrick’s departure from Miami in first place. After a rookie year in which he was utilized mostly as a strong safety, then-defensive coordinator Patrick Graham attempted to experiment with Fitzpatrick across different roles in the secondary, opting to play him in a nickelback role while starting Bobby McCain and Reshad Jones at safety. After getting torched by Lamar Jackson in the season opener of his sophomore campaign, 59-10, the Dolphins gave Fitzpatrick permission to seek a trade when he expressed dissatisfaction with his positional role.

Immediately upon his arrival in Pittsburgh, Fitzpatrick found a nearly full-time home at the safety position and rewarded the Steelers with his first All-Pro season. Over his first four years in Pittsburgh, Fitzpatrick reeled in 17 interceptions (three for touchdowns) and logged 38 passes defensed, earning two more All-Pro honors in the process.

In 2023, though, the team brought in Damontae Kazee and shifted Fitzpatrick’s role. All of the sudden, Fitzpatrick was playing a quarter of his defensive snaps in the box and another quarter in the slot. The addition of DeShon Elliott helped in 2024, getting him back into a true high safety role for the majority of the time, but the team still gave him a significant snap share in the box that year, as well. Over that span, Fitzpatrick’s plays on the ball decreased drastically, only amounting to one interception and seven passes defensed in two years.

Now, he heads back to South Beach, and in Miami, they need a safety. Now far-removed from the days of positional dispute, the Dolphins are in a place where they are trying to recover from the departures of both starting safeties from the 2024 season, Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer. Before acquiring Fitzpatrick, Ashtyn Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu were expected to fill out the starting defense. Both players have extremely limited experience in starting safety roles, so Fitzpatrick is certain to come in as the team’s new best safety.

Now, Fitzpatrick returns to Miami to claim his rightful spot in the secondary. He’s older (28) and has a bit more of an injury history, but a return to a full-time safety role should do him good. The Dolphins were confident enough in that outcome that they traded away two impact players to bring him in, though one player notably did not want to be in Miami.

Latest On Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick

June 28th, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

As the Steelers dealt with injuries in the linebacking corps and the secondary last season, Minkah Fitzpatrick was forced to handle a number of different responsibilities. The All-Pro safety is in line to handle a more familiar workload in 2024, however.

Fitzpatrick – known to be at his best when used as a free safety based on his ballhawking skills – saw a decrease in his usage rate with respect to centerfield-type deployment last season. Instead, his varied workload included an uptick in time spent in the box as well as at slot corner. That played a key role in the four-time Pro Bowler being held without an interception for the first time in his career last year.

“The biggest thing is as coaches, our job is to try to get all of our guys in the best position as possible so they can play as well as they can and play up to their abilities,” Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said about Fitzpatrick’s usage (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). “And so last year I probably failed in that regard. We tried to have him do too much stuff, and I think I’m going to get back to really what makes him special.”

Pittsburgh has Damontae Kazee set to return to from the suspension which ended his regular season, and the team added a veteran safety in the form of DeShon Elliott in free agency. The Steelers’ linebacking corps (which includes holdovers Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts) was also strengthened this offseason with the signing of Patrick Queen and the selection of Payton Wilson in the draft. Better health and increased depth at both positions in 2024 should allow Fitzpatrick to return to an all-but exclusive role as a free safety.

The 27-year-old has proven to be a productive acquisition for the Steelers, amassing 17 interceptions and 41 pass deflections since being traded by the Dolphins. Fitzpatrick is under contract through 2026 on his $18.25MM-per-year deal, and expectations will be high for him in 2024 especially if he manages to return to his preferred alignment.

Pittsburgh ranked 11th in the league in interceptions last year despite Fitzpatrick being kept off the board in that regard, but the team finished just 17th in passing yards allowed. Improvement in both areas could take place with him returning to his most effective spot.

Steelers To Start Mason Rudolph In Week 16

December 21st, 2023 at 11:42am CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 21: For a third straight game, the Steelers will be without Pickett. Tomlin confirmed the second-year starter will miss Week 16, bringing Rudolph back to the forefront. After an eight-start 2019 season, the longtime Ben Roethlisberger backup has made two starts since.

DECEMBER 18: As foreshadowed over the weekend, the Steelers will be making a switch under center. Head coach Mike Tomlin announced on Monday that Mason Rudolph will get the start in Week 16 against the Bengals.

In his post-game remarks after a loss to the Colts on Saturday, Tomlin declined to confirm if Mitch Trubisky would retain the starting role. Tomlin hinted that changes on offense would be coming after Pittsburgh lost a third straight game to drop to 7-7. Now, that has been confirmed.

Rudolph will receive first-team reps in practice this week, although Tomlin did say (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor) that starter Kenny Pickett has a chance to return to the field in time for the Cincinnati game. With Rudolph already having been named the starter, though, Pickett’s return would only be in a backup capacity as he recovers from ankle surgery.

Trubisky took over for Pickett during the Steelers’ upset loss to the Cardinals. He then started against the Patriots and Colts, games in which the team’s offensive struggles continued. In need of a late-season spark to stay alive in the wild-card race, Pittsburgh will now turn to Rudolph, who made his 2023 debut in the closing moments of Saturday’s game. The 28-year-old did not see the field last year, and the most recent of his 10 career starts came in 2021.

Rudolph was expected to find himself on a new team this offseason by means of a free agent departure. Signing with a new team could have created a clearer path to playing time, but in May he ultimately decided to re-up with the Steelers once again. That one-year pact worth the veteran minimum will now give the former third-rounder another opportunity to earn a role in Pittsburgh or a new team in the offseason.

Unlike Rudolph, Trubisky is on the books through 2025. The former No. 2 pick joined the Steelers on a two-year deal last spring, and he inked an extension this past offseason to continue serving as Pickett’s backup. Trubisky has not fared well during his time on the field this season, however, and today’s move marks a blow to the confidence the team has in him given the importance of their three-game stretch to close out the season.

Tomlin also announced safety Minkah Fitzpatrick will miss the Steelers’ contest against the Bengals. The All-Pro is dealing with a knee injury which forced him to leave the Colts loss. While Fitzpatrick’s’ absence will be felt on defense, plenty of attention will be on Rudolph and the offense as the Steelers look to end their losing streak and keep their playoff chances alive.

AFC Injury Roundup: Colts, Ivey, Steelers, Wilson

December 17th, 2023 at 8:31pm CST by Ely Allen

The Colts battled through a number of injuries to beat the Steelers and remain in the playoff hunt for the AFC yesterday. Two key players in wide receiver Michael Pittman and running back Zack Moss were forced to exit the game early with injuries and failed to return.

Pittman was knocked out of the game with a concussion after receiving a hit from Steelers safety Damontae Kazee that resulted in Kazee’s ejection. Without his favorite target by far, quarterback Gardner Minshew was required to spread the ball out, completing passes to eight other players for the rest of the game. Though they were able to find success, Indianapolis will hope that Pittman can work his way through the concussion protocols quickly as Pittman is the target on nearly a third of the team’s pass attempts.

There was serious concern when Moss exited the game with an injury to the same arm that was broken around the start of the season. He was forced to leave the game due to issues with grip. With Jonathan Taylor missing most of the season thus far, Moss has taken the crown as the team’s leading rusher. Luckily, X-rays came back negative on Moss’ arm, so he should be able to return next week.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the AFC this week:

Joining fellow Bengals defender D.J. Reader, who was announced to be out for the season last night, seventh-round rookie cornerback DJ Ivey left yesterday’s game with a torn ACL that will end his season, as well, per Kelsey Conway of USA Today. The late-round pick out of Miami (FL) will see his rookie season cut short just as he was beginning to earn some more playing time in Cincinnati. He received a game ball last week for making a key pass breakup and recovering a fumble on punt coverage.
After Kazee was ejected, the Steelers were left with two backups in the game when Minkah Fitzpatrick left the game with a knee injury, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Fitzpatrick was able to walk off the field under his own power, but after a brief evaluation on the sideline, it was determined that he should not return for the second half of the game. Another starter, defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, will be a question mark to make a Week 16 appearance as he is reportedly in concussion protocol, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
Lastly, from today’s games, the Jets were once again forced to turn to a new passer, this time Trevor Siemian, after starting quarterback Zach Wilson was forced to leave the game with a concussion in the second quarter, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. If Wilson is unable to come back next week, it’ll likely be Siemian starting for New York against the Commanders.

AFC Injury Roundup: Steelers, Stevenson, Titans

December 3rd, 2023 at 7:38pm CST by Ely Allen

This has been a typical rally year for the Steelers. Anytime things look less than ideal in a season for Pittsburgh, the team tends to pick things up and lead head coach Mike Tomlin to yet another winning season. They have done so this year as a bend-but-don’t-break defense has buoyed a struggling offense to a 7-5 record. That task will likely be getting a bit more difficult with the injury news concerning starting quarterback Kenny Pickett.

According to Brooke Pryor of ESPN, Pickett sustained a right ankle injury while trying to push for the endzone today and was forced to sit out the remainder of the game. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the injury is “not good” and that Pickett “will be out for an extended period.”

Pickett was replaced in today’s loss by backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Trubisky was able to score a touchdown in relief of Pickett but was unable to lead the team to victory after inheriting a tie game on the one-yard line. Tomlin made it clear that if Pickett is unable to go, which if Dulac is correct sounds like it will be the case, Trubisky will serve as the team’s starter.

With the Steelers facing a short week before hosting the Patriots, Pickett likely won’t have time to make a quick comeback, especially if the injury is “not good.” Expect Trubisky to lead the Pittsburgh offense this Thursday night.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the AFC, starting with another note from the Steel City:

Steelers starting safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who returned to the field today for the first time since October, was forced to leave the game for a period with a broken left hand, per Pryor. The break reportedly kept him from being able to grab the football, but he was able to cast and wrap the hand during the game’s two weather delays and finish the game with the injury. If the team feels it’s safe, Fitzpatrick may not need to miss any additional time as he can simply play with the cast, as he did today.
Speaking of the Thursday night turnaround, the Patriots are in danger of having to face the Steelers without starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson. Stevenson reportedly sprained his ankle today, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and will undergo an MRI in order to determine how long he may be sidelined. Even if it’s a fairly minor sprain, the short week looms large for his availability. Backup rusher Ezekiel Elliott could find himself in a bigger role or even starting in Pittsburgh this coming week.
The Titans saw two players suffer scary knee injuries in today’s loss to the Colts. The two players who went down were star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and backup tight end Josh Whyle. While the injuries were enough to sideline each player for a bit, beat writer Paul Kuharsky confirms that neither injury is season-ending.

Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick Expected To Play

December 1st, 2023 at 8:56pm CST by Ely Allen

While the Steelers will continue to deal with a number of defenders being on injured reserve, they are set to return a leader on that side of the ball in safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. According to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Fitzpatrick is set to appear in his first game in four weeks this Sunday against the Cardinals.

Fitzpatrick had to make his exit early into the team’s loss to the Jaguars back in October with a hamstring injury. Pittsburgh didn’t think they would need to place its veteran safety on IR, hoping to see him return sooner rather than later, but after four weeks without their vocal leader, gaining an extra roster spot by placing him on IR would’ve been the preferred move in retrospect.

The extended absence is the first of Fitzpatrick’s storied career. In the five and a half seasons until this absence, Fitzpatrick has appeared in 86 of a possible 89 games, starting in 81. Fitpatrick had never missed consecutive games either, with the three absences being one-game situations. Even when the former Dolphin was traded two weeks into the season from Miami, he was in black and yellow six days later without missing a snap.

In Fitzpatrick’s first multi-game absence, the team had to promote practice squad safety Trenton Thompson to the active roster. Keanu Neal and Elijah Riley were filling in the first few weeks before finding their way to IR. Thompson has performed well for being thrown into the fire, but the Steelers will be excited to return Fitzpatrick next to strong safety Damontae Kazee this weekend.

AFC North Rumors: Bengals, Battle, Watson, Steelers

November 26th, 2023 at 9:41pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bengals have already announced that starting quarterback Joe Burrow‘s season is over after he suffered a thumb ligament tear. The only information left to report on Burrow’s situation is that he is set to undergo wrist surgery tomorrow, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The expectation is that Burrow will be able to make a full recovery in time for the 2024 season.

On the administrative side of things, Rapoport also reports that the league is “investigating if Cincinnati should have listed Burrow on its injury report prior to” the game in which he seemingly suffered the season-ending injury. The night before the team’s matchup in Baltimore, Burrow was shown on a team social media post with an apparatus on his right wrist before the post was taken down. That same wrist is the one receiving surgery tomorrow. Rapoport says that the Bengals have “turned in hours of footage to the NFL showing that Burrow was healthy prior to the game.” The team’s doctors claim that the injury was acute and not one that happened over time.

The team opted to run Burrow’s offense and playbook in Jake Browning‘s first career start. The Bengals coaches had full confidence in Browning running the offense but still planned to run the ball a bit more than usual to take some pressure off his shoulders. Browning and the Bengals would lose to Pittsburgh, but Browning would complete 19 of 26 pass attempts for 227 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The plan to run the ball a bit more fell through as limited possession time and offensive success led to only 11 carries.

Here are a few other rumors from around the AFC North, staying in Cincinnati for a beat:

Another position for the Bengals experienced a change in starter as defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo announced rookie third-round pick Jordan Battle as the team’s starting strong safety over Nick Scott earlier this week, per Kelsey Conway of USA Today. Scott still had a role in today’s game but played a clear second fiddle to Battle. Asked what about Battle made him the choice at starter, Anarumo claimed it was his tackling ability.
Another AFC North starting quarterback underwent surgery for their season-ending injury as the Browns‘ Deshaun Watson had a procedure done on his shoulder earlier this week, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Watson is expected to be healed in time to start the 2024 season.
A big story in the struggles of the Steelers’ offense this year has been the frustration of wide receiver Diontae Johnson. Those frustrations reportedly boiled over after last week’s loss to the Browns, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, leading to a heated argument with star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick that needed to be broken up by teammates Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt. Johnson only had two catches on the day and was visibly upset on the sideline as he engaged in an animated conversation with head coach Mike Tomlin. Johnson’s annoyance would continue as he was later seen “chirping” at the coaches all the way to the locker room after the game before being confronted by Fitzpatrick. Perhaps the firing of former offensive coordinator Matt Canada helped to cool Johnson down, as Johnson received eight targets today.

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