Minkah Fitzpatrick has joined an elite class of players to grace the Steelers locker room.
Fitzpatrick on Friday became the fourth ever safety to be elected as the team's Most Valuable Player, joining Glen Edwards (1974), Donnie Shell (1980) and Troy Polamalu (2010) as positionmates to earn the honor. It is the fourth year in a row in which a defensive player won team MVP, as T.J. Watt earned the honor in each season from 2019-2021.
"It's an honor, for sure, that my teammates see me as an MVP," Fitzpatrick said Friday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "This has been nothing but a team effort. This hasn't been the season that we thought it would, but the great part about it is it doesn't really matter what happened in the past. (Mike Tomlin) always says, 'The past is history like World War II.'
"You learn from it, but you move forward from it, and we can change the whole season by how we play this weekend and how we dominate this weekend in regards for the guys that win this. It's awesome, it's an honor just to be mentioned in the same sentence as a couple of those guys."
Fitzpatrick is having a career season not only by Steelers standards, but also by his own. His six interceptions are a career high and are tied for first in the NFL with Philadelphia's C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Denver's Justin Simmons, and Seattle's Tariq Woolen. His 94 return yards off of those interceptions rank fourth in the NFL, but is the most among those aforementioned players. The six picks are the most for a Steeler since Polamalu snagged seven in 2010. He has notched at least four interceptions in three of his four years as a Steeler.
Among current Steelers, Fitzpatrick ranks second in solo tackles (51) and total tackles (86), and third in passes defended (11).
It is only fitting that Fitzpatrick earned this honor as the first among his position since Polamalu, a player which he grew up watching and later modeled some of his game after.
"Troy was a playmaker, know what I'm saying?" Fitzpatrick said. "He was an extremely instinctive safety. He moved around, could do whatever they asked him to do. I kind of see myself in a similar light. He's a guy that had a nose for the football. I try to find the football. He was a guy that was always in position, never out of position, so sometimes the ball would find him. People would call it luck who don't know football, but it's just being in the right position, looking at the right things, and I try to do that, as well.
"If you're a great football player, the best way to learn is from other great football players, so Troy is definitely a guy whether I play here or for another team that I definitely modeled my game after."
Fitzpatrick earned the award among a handful of worthy Steelers to be considered.
Watt could have won it for a fourth year running if not for the seven games he missed due to injury, though the team's win-loss record and subsequent production with him on the field versus him being off of it is night and day. Cam Heyward and Alex Highsmith each had worthy consideration for their leadership and performances along the defensive line. Kenny Pickett has come along and progressed steadily as the Steelers' new franchise quarterback. Najee Harris has been one of the best runners in the NFL since the team's bye week.
Harris said he voted for Fitzpatrick, his former college teammate at Alabama in 2017.
"I think he's having a great year," Harris said. "I think he could be All-Pro."
Watt had no issue in conceding the award to Fitzpatrick.
"It's nice that it's still on the defensive side of the ball," Watt said. "Super happy for Mink. Guy works his (butt) off. He's the first guy in, the last guy out in practice."
But, over a consistent stretch of the season, Fitzpatrick has been the team's best player, and he earned his flowers for it.
I struck a Twitter poll to get your take on the vote. Who would you consider as the team's MVP?
Alright, #Steelers fans, who would YOU have voted as your team MVP? Vote early, vote often:
— Corey Crisan (@cdcrisan) January 6, 2023
