The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2023 season has been considerably of a curler coaster.
After being stagnant on the offensive aspect of the ball for a lot of the season, the staff made a uncommon in-season teaching change. Final month, longtime head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed offensive coordinator Matt Canada had been fired.
Pittsburgh has additionally handled its share of accidents, together with current setbacks for quarterback Kenny Pickett and star move rusher T.J. Watt.
Minkah Fitzpatrick has additionally missed a handful of video games this season with accidents. When he is enjoying, Fitzpatrick is taken into account among the many high defensive backs within the NFL. However Steelers legend and two-time Tremendous Bowl winner Chris Hoke has criticized Fitzpatrick’s 2023 efficiency.
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Defensive lineman Chris Hoke of the Pittsburgh Steelers throughout a sport towards the Minnesota Vikings at Heinz Subject Oct. 25, 2009, in Pittsburgh. (George Gojkovich/Getty Pictures)
Throughout a current look on Pittsburgh sports activities radio station 93.7 The Fan, Hoke known as out Fitzpatrick’s stats for the 2023 season and recommended the numbers don’t add as much as a participant thought-about elite.
“Minkah has 64 tackles, 0 interceptions, 0 forced fumbles, 0 fumble recoveries. ‘A’ players have to play ‘A’ ball in games like last Thursday and this Saturday. They haven’t gotten that from him this season.”
Fitzpatrick spent the primary two seasons of his profession with the Miami Dolphins earlier than becoming a member of the Steelers forward of the 2019 season. He signed a profitable four-year contract extension with the Steelers in 2022.
The Steelers opened Week 14 with a disappointing three-point loss to the hapless New England Patriots. Shortly after the newest loss, Fitzpatrick recommended a few of his teammates weren’t concerned with placing within the exhausting work vital for a profitable season.
Pittsburgh Steelers security Minkah Fitzpatrick warms up earlier than a sport towards the New England Patriots at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh Dec. 7, 2023. (Charles LeClaire/USA At present Sports activities)
“In order to see fruit, you gotta toil for it. I think too many people don’t want to toil for it,” Fitzpatrick stated after the loss. “They just want to walk out here and think that they gonna make plays and think that they gonna perform at a high level.
“I feel we have to have extra individuals who need to work for it and never anticipate it to be handed to them as a result of that is the NFL, and nothing’s handed to you. You gotta earn every part.”
Fitzpatrick missed a few games earlier this season due to a hamstring injury before returning for a Dec. 3 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Fitzpatrick’s return to action was short-lived. He broke a hand in the Week 13 game.
“I feel that dudes simply suppose that as a result of they’re sporting the black and gold that they’re gonna win video games,” Fitzpatrick added. “I feel we have to verify that mentality and make individuals notice that they gotta earn that mentality, and so they gotta earn each single blade of grass and each single splash play and each single rep that they get on the market. They gotta earn it.”
Minkah Fitzpatrick of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs onto the field before a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Acrisure Stadium Oct. 29, 2023, in Pittsburgh. (Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)
Tomlin eventually caught wind of Fitzpatrick’s comments. Tomlin suggested the three-time All-Pro safety’s comments were taken as a call to action instead of a criticism about the effort of other players.
“You already know, he was in all probability speaking about smiling within the face of adversity. These are going to be powerful, powerful video games, and there’s going to be some adversity, there’s going to be some challenges. Nothing goes to be given to us, and now we have to battle that,” Tomlin said. “We’ve obtained to smile within the face of that. [Fitzpatrick is] a man who does that and lives that life, and I’m certain he’s simply difficult others to do the identical. We now have to do a greater job of that in an effort to alter the end result of video games.”
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The Steelers are 7-6 and in third place within the AFC North division.
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