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Are The Pittsburgh Steelers Improved After Blockbuster Trade?

James Boutros Written by Sports EditorJames Boutros
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Minkah Fitzpatrick had one straightforward request of the Steelers after he got traded from Miami.

The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to be unable to stay out of the news in recent offseasons.

Whether it is drama with players, potential signings, the Aaron Rodgers fiasco, or now a blockbuster trade, the Steelers have been making non-stop headlines.

The Steelers made the trade official with an announcement on X. Pittsburgh traded star Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for CB Jalen Ramsey, TE Jonnu Smith, and a 2027 seventh-round pick.

There have been rumors about the Steelers eyeing both Ramsey and Smith, but there was never any mention that they would part ways with Fitzpatrick.

Minkah Fitzpatrick’s Poor Play Made It Easier For The Steelers To Trade Him

While on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, Ray Fittipaldo, who covers the Steelers for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, said that the Steelers’ communication and chemistry issues on defense were in large part due to Minkah Fitzpatrick. Fittipaldo said, “A lot that was Minkah.”

Fitzpatrick was noticeably poor the last two seasons. Mike DeFabo, Steelers beat writer for The Athletic, posted the following two posts on X regarding his play.

DeFabo makes some excellent points regarding Fitzpatrick.

The Steelers traded a first-round pick for Fitzpatrick and ended up trading him back to the team from which they acquired him.

Fitzpatrick was very good with the Steelers from 2019-2022, but he completely tailed off in 2023 and 2024. His play has been noticeably poor over the last two seasons but Pittsburgh was still able to recoup considerable value in return for the veteran safety.

Are The Pittsburgh Steelers Improved After Blockbuster Trade?

While losing Fitzpatrick leaves a hole at the Safety position, Juan Thornhill will need to step up and perform.

He will take over Fitzpatrick’s role as the starting Safety, alongside DeShon Elliott.

Thornhill is a former second-round pick and will be 30 years old in October.

Adding Jalen Ramsey is a boost to their CB position. The Steelers have a good CB trio in Joey Porter Jr, Darius Slay, and Jalen Ramsey.

Adding Slay and Ramsey makes the oldest defense in the league even older, however.

Jonnu Smith is an upgrade in the passing game over Pat Freiermuth.

Smith can play Tight End or as a slot WR. The Steelers can line him up all over the field. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has had great success with Jonnu Smith in the past. The two are familiar with each other.

Pittsburgh improved its offense by adding Smith.

Losing Minkah hurts their Safety position, but adding Smith boosts their offense, and Ramsey boosts their CB position.

If Thornhill can be an effective Safety, this was a smart move by the Steelers.

Grade: B

The Steelers Are Still Not A Super Bowl Contender

Despite all their offseason moves, the Steelers are still not a Super Bowl contender.

Rodgers, Slay, Smith, and Ramsey are all near the end of their careers. DK Metcalf is a good WR, but he has no help. Metcalf will face a lot of double teams in 2025 as opposing teams will try to take him out of the game. This is why Jonnu Smith will be critical as a secondary option in the passing game.

This is an older roster that was constructed by Mike Tomlin. All the moves made are because of him. This is Tomlin’s roster, and there is nobody else to blame but him when the Steelers inevitably lose in the wild-card round again, if they even make the playoffs.

James Boutros Written by Sports EditorJames Boutros
Growing up, James was fascinated with watching sports. This led to an interest in research and stats and writing betting analysis for a variety of sports. James has graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business.
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