Pittsburgh Steelers Star Safety in Concussion Protocol

The Pittsburgh Steelers revealed some unfortunate news on Tuesday. Head coach Mike Tomlin announced that superstar safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is currently in concussion protocol following Week 3's Thursday Night Football loss to the Cleveland Browns.

#Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick is in the concussion protocol, according to Mike Tomlin. Says Fitzpatrick got assessed after the game against the #Browns.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 27, 2022

Fitzpatrick was assessed after the game despite playing 100% of the defensive snaps in the 29-17 defeat. The fact that the game was played on Thursday may give him a little bit of wiggle room, but players typically miss at least a week following a concussion. Should he be unavailable for the Steelers' Week 4 contest against the New York Jets, the team will be forced to play some combination of Miles Killebrew and Tre Norwood in his stead.

Fitzpatrick opened the 2022 season with an outstanding Week 1 performance that earned him the AFC's Defensive Player of the Week award. A two-time All-Pro in his first four seasons, the safety joined the Steelers in 2019 following a trade with the Miami Dolphins and has been a reliable star on the backend of their defense ever since. The team rewarded his consistency and leadership with a massive four-year extension that briefly made him the NFL's highest-paid safety. An extended absence would be another blow to a Steelers defense already reeling from the injury to reigning Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt.