Steelers Pile On Points as Dolphins' Playoff Hopes Fade, Minkah Fitzpatrick Injured in Emotional Return
With their postseason hopes hanging by a thread, the Miami Dolphins headed into Pittsburgh for a high-stakes Monday Night Football matchup-and things unraveled quickly. Facing a Steelers team led by Aaron Rodgers and desperate to stop their recent slide, Miami found itself overwhelmed from the start. Pittsburgh, despite dropping five of their last eight games, came out firing, and the Dolphins simply couldn’t keep up.
The game took a somber turn in the first half when safety Minkah Fitzpatrick went down with what appeared to be a serious calf injury. The moment brought both teams onto the field, kneeling around Fitzpatrick as trainers tended to him. It was a rare pause in the action that underscored just how respected the veteran safety is-by both his current teammates and those he used to suit up with.
The Dolphins later confirmed the injury via social media: “Injury Update | Minkah Fitzpatrick has a calf injury and is questionable to return.”
Fitzpatrick’s journey has come full circle in a way few NFL careers do. Drafted by the Dolphins, he was traded to Pittsburgh in 2019 in a deal that included multiple picks on both sides.
He blossomed into a Pro Bowl mainstay with the Steelers, anchoring their secondary with elite range and instincts. This season, he returned to Miami in a blockbuster trade that sent Jalen Ramsey, Jonnu Smith, and a 2027 seventh-rounder to Pittsburgh in exchange for Fitzpatrick and a fifth-round pick.
And while the Dolphins were hoping his return would help stabilize a defense that’s been inconsistent at times, Monday night brought a gut punch instead. Whether Fitzpatrick will return to the field this season remains uncertain, but the reaction from players on both sidelines made one thing abundantly clear: Minkah Fitzpatrick is more than just a difference-maker on defense-he’s a leader, a respected voice, and a player whose presence resonates well beyond the stat sheet.
For the Dolphins, the loss on the scoreboard was tough. But losing Fitzpatrick, even temporarily, might be the bigger blow.