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The Pittsburgh Steelers have remained a relevant team in the AFC North over the last few seasons in large part due to their defense. Pittsburgh's identity focuses on their front seven, with star players like T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward as mainstays who play at a high level. However, the secondary has historically been just as important.
One area where the Steelers took a step back last year was forcing turnovers in the secondary. Veteran safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is one player who had a particularly poor season in that department last year.
Minkah Fitzpatrick is hungry to improve in 2024. When asked how he can get back to forcing turnovers on defense, the five-time Pro Bowler had a short response.
“Just let me play ball,” Fitzpatrick said, via Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “That’s it. ‘Minkah Ball.’”
Fitzpatrick made a name for himself in the NFL by forcing turnovers. During his first five seasons, Fitzpatrick logged 19 interceptions and was a part of 28 total turnovers. He forced zero turnovers in 2023.
“We gotta figure it out,” Fitzpatrick said after Wednesday’s OTA session. “Go back and look at the ‘22 tape to see what we did then.”
Fitzpatrick has made it a priority to attend OTAs and other team activities this spring. He believes it is essential to improving Pittsburgh's defense.
“You want to start forming relationships, you want to make sure everyone is on the same page early,” Fitzpatrick said. “If I came in late and they were teaching stuff that wasn’t exactly what I was taught, we would be playing catch-up. But I believe, by being here now, everyone is on the same page and ready to improve.”
Cameron Sutton back with Steelers despite recent domestic violence incident
A familiar face has returned to Pittsburgh. The Steelers recently signed cornerback Cameron Sutton, who played his first six seasons in Pittsburgh.
Sutton left the Steelers in 2023's free agency period, signing a three-year contract with the Detroit Lions. Sutton played as CB1 in Detroit and was routinely exposed in coverage.
News broke earlier this spring that Cameron Sutton was wanted on domestic violence charges in Florida. The Lions cut Sutton shortly thereafter with a post-June 1st designation.
Sutton is reportedly dealing with the transition as best he can.
“Adversity strikes everyone in life,” Sutton said, according to a tweet from Brooke Pryor. “So it's all about how you handle it, how you necessarily go through those phases, and just knowing who you are individually, not letting someone else dim you a light.”
According to Greg Auman, Sutton did not reach a legal resolution. Sutton will be required to go through a mental health evaluation and may have to go through treatment as well.
The reunion makes sense for the Steelers. Their depth at cornerback was a huge need on defense, with the depth chart looking rough after Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson. Now Sutton slots in as the likely CB3 for Pittsburgh in 2024.
The Steelers organization should know Sutton better than anyone else in the NFL. It's no surprise that they would show a vote of confidence in their former player.
It will be interesting to see well Pittsburgh's offense plays in 2024. The defense is set up for success after adding Sutton as a role player and depth piece.
