Behind the Steel Curtain
The Steelers veteran shared his raw reaction to Minkah Fitzpatrick being traded to the Miami Dolphins
The dust is finally beginning to settle on one of the biggest trades of the NFL offseason. The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired star cornerback Jalen Ramsey, tight end Jonnu Smith, and a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for three-time all-pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. The move makes what is already a star-studded defense in Pittsburgh that much more interesting. Adding Ramsey to a cornerback room that already includes veteran Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr. makes this one of the better groups at the position in the league.
Now that everyone has had some time to digest the trade, we are getting an idea of how some Steelers players are reacting to this deal. Longtime Steelers captain Cam Heyward shared his reaction to the deal on his podcast Not Just Football
“The way we heard about it first it was we traded for Jalen Ramsey and we are like alright that’s cool,” Heyward said. “You got Minkah [Fitzpatrick], you got the DeShon [Elliott], you got Joey [Porter Jr.], you got [Darius] Slay, but now you got to play and now you have Jalen Ramsey and you think like, ‘damn that’s going to be really cool to see that those DB’s just fly around.’ And then, [I] got the gut check of losing a really good teammate in Minkah Fitzpatrick and I’m like, ‘damn, like I don’t know how to feel about this.’ It’s bittersweet. You know I’ve enjoyed playing with him, and I was kind of just shook by it all.”
It was a very honest and open reaction from Heyward, who has played with Fitzpatrick since 2019. It was clearly tough for the future Hall of Famer to watch someone he respected as much as Fitzpatrick be dealt. However, Heyward later went on to say that although he will miss Fitzpatrick and his presence, he is excited about his new teammates.
“I’m excited about the new teammates, but I’m also sad to be losing a guy that I really respect in the locker room,” Heyward said.
Fitzpatrick had what will likely be the best seasons of his career with Pittsburgh, earning Pro Bowl honors five times and winning over the hearts of many fans. The Steelers are sending Fitzpatrick back to where he was drafted with the 11th selection of the 2018 NFL Draft, and getting back two highly productive players as they continue to make moves that suggest they are pushing for a deep playoff run in 2025.
