The Pittsburgh Steelers will not be able to pull off one trade if they had thoughts about doing so. They can not trade for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who they moved in the Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith trade this offseason.
While Fitzpatrick has been floated as a trade target for other teams in the league, the Steelers will not be one of them due to a little-known rule in the NFL rulebook.
The rule states that once a team trades a player, they can not reacquire that player via trade until at least two years after the execution of the trade. Pittsburgh could sign Fitzpatrick in free agency, but they can not trade with the Dolphins or another team for him.
After some recent struggles in the secondary, the Steelers could look to add something to either their cornerback or safety rooms, but they have placed so much investment in both rooms this offseason, it seems unlikely.
Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, was traded back to the team he was drafted by in the Dolphins in the 2019 NFL Draft. The star safety has been the one stable player on the Dolphins.
Through seven games, he has one interception and 42 tackles. He has five pass deflections as well, which already tops his mark from last year when he had just four pass deflections.
The three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler has shined throughout his career with the Steelers, and now with the Dolphins, he is still playing well despite the team struggling around him.
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