Pittsburgh Steelers Get Better In Rare Player-For-Player Swap

By Rick O’Donnell

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been teetering on the edge of a playoff team for the past few seasons. Despite not having a losing season in his tenure as a head coach, Mike Tomlin can’t seem to find his footing in the playoffs. That may have finally changed when the team pulled off a blockbuster trade this offseason.

The trade essentially sends S Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins with a fifth-round pick in next year’s draft, for CB Jalen Ramsey, TE Jonnu Smith, and a seventh-rounder in 2027.

Steelers fans might be upset that Pittsburgh traded away one of their top defenders. After all, Fitzpatrick is near the top in pass defense as well as a run stopper. Losing a playmaker is never easy, but Pitt definitely had the offseason to do so. They picked up former Eagle Darius Slay to now play opposite Ramsey. Defensive additions include drafting DT Derrick Harmon, EDGE Jack Sawyer, DT Yahya Black, LB Carson Bruener, and CB Donte Kent.

In free agency, they also added LB Malik Harrison, CB Brandin Echols, S Juan Thornhill, DT Daniel Ekuale, and DE Esezi Otomewo. So, yes, losing a top playmaker as far as productivity goes, it absolutely sucks losing that level of talent in Minkah Fitzpatrick but it only stings if Ramsey/Slay don’t live up to their usual level of play and the defensive overhaul can’t account for the run game. Both of which are pretty big “ifs” to say the least.

However, the key difference maker in all of this might be trading for TE Jonnu Smith. While Smith might not have a noteworthy career to date, he’s still finding his groove at tight end. He just set the single-season receiving record in catches and yards for a tight end with the Miami Dolphins. He’s a big target for Aaron Rodgers to find on broken plays. He’ll take the pressure off of DK Metcalf in the passing game. If he can emulate the type of success in Miami, this trade easily favors the Steelers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers might have lost a staple in their defense when they traded Minkah Fitzpatrick today, but what they gained could be the difference maker. Their offense typically slows down later in the year, but key additions with Smith, Metcalf, and Rodgers instantly improve their chances. It would take a lot for their defense not to improve in 2025 with all their additions as well. All things considered, I wouldn’t sleep on Pittsburgh this year..