In his first public statement since the tackle that led to Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb’s season-ending knee injury, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick stressed that there was no malicious intent behind the play.
Fitzpatrick made it clear that he immediately informed Chubb that the injury wasn’t intentional, saying, “I’m a competitor, and I play the game with intensity, but I’m not a dirty player. I won’t justify my character; I know the type of player I am, and Chubb does too. We’ve faced off for five years, twice a year. I relish competing against him; he brings out the best in me, and I do the same for him. I would never deliberately harm anyone; it was an unfortunate incident.”
The incident occurred when Fitzpatrick assisted inside linebacker Cole Holcomb in tackling Chubb near the goal line during Monday night’s game. Fitzpatrick made contact with Chubb’s lower body, resulting in Chubb’s knee bending unnaturally.
“I didn’t see any other option,” Fitzpatrick explained. “As soon as I saw the hole open up with him in it, I decided to go low. The game is incredibly fast, decisions are made in milliseconds. I can’t control what happens once I’ve made my decision to go low. I wouldn’t have done anything differently. It’s a tragic situation. Chubb is an outstanding player, and the game is better when he’s on the field.”
Chubb underwent season-ending knee surgery following the incident, and Browns coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed he would require surgery. Fitzpatrick faced backlash on social media after the game due to the tackle.
Fitzpatrick responded to the criticism, stating, “Our sport is physical, and injuries happen. People can sit behind screens and tell me how to do my job or what they would have done differently, but they’ve never played the game.”
He also addressed the criticism about tackling Chubb’s low
Explaining that it was a matter of self-preservation.
“Tackling someone like Nick Chubb high while he’s charging downhill at full speed would result in me getting run over and potentially concussed,” Fitzpatrick reasoned. “I understand football is an offensive-oriented game, and people want to see high-scoring plays, but defensive players must protect themselves. When tackling larger players, going low is safer and reduces the risk of injury to me.”
Fitzpatrick suffered a “wind knocked out” injury on the same play, and it was exacerbated later in the game when he made a diving tackle on running back Jerome Ford. As a precaution, he was taken to the hospital, according to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. However, Fitzpatrick confirmed that he’s ready to return for the upcoming “Sunday Night Football” game against the Las Vegas Raiders after missing practice on Wednesday.
