Ex-Steelers Player Hints at Real Reason Minkah Fitzpatrick Was Trade

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a couple moves that have shaken up the media and fans alike.

Wide receiver Antonio Brown was one of the major ones, as well as Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. On the other side of the ball, one of the major moves involved moving on from safety Minkah Fitzpatrick after the 2024 season.

Now, in the time since his departure, criticism has come for him from multiple people. The newest is former Steeler and new retiree Breiden Fehoko, who sought to provide insight on Fitzpatrick. Fehoko joined 93.7 The Fan to issue his thoughts.

Fehoko and Fitzpatrick overlapped in Pittsburgh, with both appearing for the Steelers in 2023 and 2024.

Fehoko Issues His Concerns

"I think there [were] a lot of things. I think it was maybe that instance. The post-game interview where Minkah [was] talking about reaping the rewards and not just showing up and expecting to ball out, I think that was another incident," Fehoko said. “And then ultimately, just the compensation of what they were paying him and the production just wasn't equaling out to one another."

He then spoke about how serious the Steelers tend to take their player personnel issues, whether they occur on or off the field. He also made it clear that it is not Steeler-specific, and he just was not performing at the level that an NFL player should, on and off of the field.

"Pittsburgh, along with 31 other teams, they'll make it known to you, if they're paying you top dollar, they're gonna expect top-dollar production," Fehoko said. “So I think it was a mix-up of those three things leading [into] and piling on top of one another, eventually leading to the divorce of Minkah [Fitzpatrick] and the Steelers."

How Both Teams Have Fared

With the Miami Dolphins, Fitzpatrick has had an alright season. With one interception and six pass deflections, he has been a formidable opponent. On the other hand, while he was seldomly targeted due to his talent while in Pittsburgh except for 2024, teams have been less afraid to go after him this year. He has already matched his yards allowed from 2023, and has allowed one touchdown in coverage this season.

Nov 16, 2025; Madrid, Spain; Washington Commanders tight end Colson Yankoff (80) carries the ball defended by Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (29) in the first quarterduring the 2025 NFL Madrid Game at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Now, the Steelers have yet to replace his production consistently this season. With injuries across the board, the Steelers have opted to go for Jalen Ramsey, Brandin Echols, Chuck Clark, and Deshon Elliot depending on the week.

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