PITTSBURGH — For the first time in his career, four-time Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick finished a season of football without recording a single interception.
Prior to 2023, that had never happened. Not in five NFL seasons, not at Alabama, not at St. Peter’s Prep in New Jersey.
The Steelers will undoubtedly study the film from 2022, but a stat line study reveals a difference in the schemes, too. In 2022, Fitzpatrick lined up at free safety for 76% of his defensive snaps. In 2023, Fitzpatrick’s percentage of snaps at free safety decreased to 51%, according to data from ESPN Stats and Info. With injuries and suspensions significantly affecting the secondary, Fitzpatrick moved around more in 2023, playing 16% of snaps in the slot compared to just 8% a year earlier. And he spent nearly 30% of snaps lined up in the box, marking a new career high.
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin admitted that positioning didn’t allow Fitzpatrick to play to his strengths. Correcting that is atop Austin’s priorities for the 2024 season.
“The biggest thing is as coaches, our job is to try to get all of our guys in the best position as possible so they can play as well as they can and play up to their abilities,” Austin said. “And so last year I probably failed in that regard. We tried to have him do too much stuff, and I think I’m going to get back to really what makes him special.”
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