Minkah Fitzpatrick Faces Former Team, but Says It’s Just Business-Even if It’s Personal
Minkah Fitzpatrick isn’t one to get caught up in narratives. At least, not publicly.
The veteran safety, now back in Miami after a blockbuster preseason trade with Pittsburgh, is gearing up to face his former team Monday night. But if you ask him, it’s just another game on the schedule.
“The only reason why it’s a big week this week is because we’ve got a game and we’ve got to win it,” Fitzpatrick said.
That’s the kind of answer you’d expect from a seasoned pro. But behind the scenes? There’s a little more juice to this one.
Let’s rewind a bit. Fitzpatrick was Miami’s first-round pick back in 2018, a top-tier talent coming out of Alabama with versatility and instincts that made scouts drool.
But things didn’t quite click in South Florida the first time around. By his second season, he was traded to Pittsburgh, where he quickly became the centerpiece of the Steelers’ secondary.
Three All-Pro selections later, he was one of the most respected safeties in the league-and then, in a twist few saw coming, he found himself heading back to Miami in a preseason deal that sent Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh.
Now, he’s set to line up opposite the team that helped him reach elite status-and the one that sent him packing.
While Fitzpatrick is keeping things professional in his comments, Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver isn’t buying the “just another game” line entirely.
“I know deep inside, regardless of what he says, it would mean a lot if we could walk off that field with a win,” Weaver said. “And I know he’s gonna do everything possible within the scheme to protect his teammates and try to get that done. But yeah, they all count the same, but some mean more.”
That last line hits the nail on the head. Every win counts in the standings, but some just carry a little extra weight. And with where these two teams sit in the playoff picture, Monday night is anything but ordinary.
For the Steelers, it’s about staying neck-and-neck with the Ravens in a tight NFC North race. Every game is a must-win if they want to control their postseason destiny.
For the Dolphins, it’s about keeping their late-season surge alive. After a rocky start, they’ve clawed their way back into the playoff conversation-and they’ll need to keep stacking wins to stay there.
Add in the emotional undercurrent of Fitzpatrick facing the team that drafted him-and the team he became a star with-and you’ve got all the ingredients for a game that feels just a little bigger than most.
Fitzpatrick may not say it out loud, but he knows what this one means. And you can bet he’ll be flying around the field trying to make sure it ends the right way.