Steelers News: Minkah Fitzpatrick is already “comfortable” in the Steelers defense

The Pittsburgh Steelers are moving into Week 3 of the NFL regular season, and as the team prepares for the San Francisco 49ers, we continue to provide you with features, commentary and opinions to tide you over until the season starts!

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at how recently acquired free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is already feeling “comfortable” in the Steelers defense, and that is tremendous news heading into Week 3.

Let’s get to the news:

• The Steelers will need help from their defense in Week 3, and the fact Minkah Fitzpatrick is starting to get comfortable is tremendous news for the Steelers’ chances vs. the 49ers.

Minkah Fitzpatrick comfortable at free safety in first Steelers practice

By: Kevin Gorman, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Minkah Fitzpatrick learned about his trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers “30 minutes before everybody else did,” but the second-year defensive back welcomed a fresh start.

Fitzpatrick was dealt a day after he formally requested a trade from the Miami Dolphins. The Steelers sent a 2020 first-round draft pick and the teams swapped later-round picks in the ‘20 and ‘21 drafts.

“I’m not going to talk too much about Miami,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’m here in Pittsburgh now. I’m excited about being here and my focus is being here.”

Fitzpatrick, the No. 11 overall pick out of Alabama in the 2018 NFL Draft, confirmed that he practiced with the first-team defense and expects to start at free safety for the Steelers (0-2) at San Francisco (2-0) on Sunday.

“I didn’t feel out of place at all,” Fitzpatrick said. “I didn’t feel like I was in the wrong spot at all because football is football. I was here yesterday for about four or five hours, just going over film with the coaches and breaking stuff down. I feel like I’m in a good spot, and I’ll definitely be ready for Sunday.”

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• With Anthony Chickillo out in Week 3, it looks like Ola Adeniyi will finally get his shot to contribute in a regular season game.

Steelers’ Ola Adeniyi figures to get shot rushing passers

By: Chris Adamski, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

It took an injured-reserve stint, a separate knee surgery, the loss of a peer via waivers and a foot injury to one of the players ahead of him on the depth chart. But at last, it appears as if it’s Ola’s time.

Ola Adeniyi likely enters Sunday’s game at the San Francisco 49ers as the Steelers’ No. 3 outside linebacker behind starters Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt. And with the Steelers showing a tendency to rotate bodies at the position and with forecasted temperatures in the 80s for Sunday in Santa Clara, Calif., Adeniyi could have an opportunity for a significant role on defense.

“I am just trying to earn my stripes now, but when I get to play defense, I will, obviously, going to ball out,” Adeniyi said Friday. “But my main focus is probably special teams. We’ve got great guys that at that outside linebacker spot, so I’ve just got to earn it off special teams.”

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Want to get a better glimpse at Mason Rudolph? Just listen to what his offensive coordinator has to say about him.

‘He works 24/7’

By: Teresa Varley, Steelers.com

Workaholic: Mason Rudolph will make his first NFL start on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi Stadium, and offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner has confidence in the young signal caller for several reasons, one of them being his work ethic.

Rudolph is a football junkie, a guy who rarely shuts the football side of his mind down. It’s that approach that can be a huge benefit to Rudolph as he steps in to replace Ben Roethlisberger, who is out for the year with an elbow injury that will require surgery.

“He is a worker. An absolute worker. He works 24/7,” said Fichtner. “Sometimes I have to work hard to have a joke with him because he is just that serious. But that is a good thing. And I will work on my jokes, I am not that good at them. I don’t have good punch lines. But he is that kind of guy. He is that worker, it matters to him, and he cares. He listened as a solider and as a confidant with Ben. There is a lot of in-helmet perspective that he didn’t get in the year and a half he has been here, but I know he got a lot of it because he listens, and he pays attention. He works at his job. And he listened to Ben. That is part of the learning curve, too.”

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

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