When the Pittsburgh Steelers take the field against the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs on Sunday, they’ll do so with one key absence. TJ Watt won’t be available after he suffered a knee injury in Week 18.
However, the news isn’t all bad for the Steelers on the injury front heading into playoffs as it seems they’ll be getting an important piece of their defense back this week.
That player is Minkah Fitzpatrick, who is planning on returning for the first round of the playoffs after missing the final three regular season games with a knee injury.
Fitzpatrick has been back at practice since last week and worked his way up to full participation on January 10.
On January 11, he told the media that he will be playing against the Bills, per Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley.
According to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Fitzpatrick also added that he thought he could have played against the Ravens in Week 18, but the team’s trainers wanted him to be “110%”.
That caution ensured he’d be available for the playoffs and now he’ll get a chance to try and win a playoff game for the first time in his career.
Steelers Getting Players Back At The Right Time
Fitzpatrick isn’t the only important piece of the Steelers’ roster that has made their return at a good time for the Steelers.
In Week 18, it was inside linebacker Elandon Roberts that was able to work his way back into the lineup for the pivotal matchup against the Ravens after missing the previous week’s game in Seattle.
Even with the missed week, Roberts is leading the Steelers in tackles by a wide margin. He made 101 total tackles during the regular season as an important part of a very thin linebacker corps for the Steelers.
This week, Fitzpatrick won’t be the only safety returning for the Steelers.
After missing the final three weeks of the regular season because of a suspension stemming from a hit that put Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in the concussion protocol, Damontae Kazee will also be back for the Steelers.
Before the suspension, Kazee had already racked up 61 total tackles, 2 interceptions, and a pair of fumble recoveries.
Now he’ll return to a position that looks very different for the Steelers than it did before his suspension.
Over the final 3 weeks of the season, the team began using Eric Rowe and Patrick Peterson at safety.
Now that the team has Kazee and Fitzpatrick back, they’ll have plenty of options at the safety spots.
Another Pro Bowl Season For Fitzpatrick
Despite missing 7 games during the 2023 season, Fitzpatrick was voted onto the AFC’s Pro Bowl team for the fourth time in five seasons as a member of the Steelers.
He was one of the three Steelers to get a Pro Bowl nod this season, joining Watt and special teamer Miles Killebrew.
His selection was the biggest surprise of the three after his numbers dipped during the 2023 season.
In 2022, Fitzpatrick tied for the league lead in interceptions with 6. This year he didn’t have any.
Still, it seems that didn’t matter to the voters, who decided he had done enough in 10 games to earn a spot in the Pro Bowl.
While he struggled to stay healthy in 2023, Fitzpatrick remains one of the NFL’s top safeties and the Steelers will need him to play at a Pro Bowl level if they’re going to upset the Bills in Buffalo.
