Minkah Fitzpatrick is the defender who delivered the blow that ended Nick Chubb’s season, and the Pittsburgh Steelers safety has faced some criticism over the hit. He does not feel it is warranted.
Fitzpatrick was asked on Thursday about Cleveland Browns fans and others who have suggested his tackle on Chubb was a dirty play. Fitzpatrick spoke about Chubb’s power and said he does not regret the way he approached the play.
Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick defends hit on Nick Chubb: pic.twitter.com/GzvN9lK87x
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) September 21, 2023
“I would say, one: they’ve never tackled Nick Chubb before if they’re telling me to go high,” Fitzpatrick said. “Two: What I seen was it opened up, it’s goal line. I didn’t see anybody on him. I made the decision as soon as I seen the hole open up and him in the hole to go low. You can tell me how to tackle him low but it’s a fast game. It’s a game (where) you make decisions in milliseconds. Can’t really control what happens after you choose to make your decision. I already chose to go low, and what happened happened.
“There’s nothing I really would do differently. Again, like I said earlier, it’s very unfortunate. Nick Chubb’s a great player. He makes the game a lot better when he’s playing. Just hope for a speedy recovery.”
Fitzpatrick’s hit on Chubb was perfectly legal. Chubb was just unfortunate that his leg happened to be planted at the exact moment Fitzpatrick hit him in the knee area. You can see the play here, but be aware that it is very gruesome.
Chubb could reportedly need multiple surgeries, which has called into question whether he will be able to continue his career. The Browns star will turn 28 in December and also suffered a dislocated knee with cartilage damage when he was playing at Georgia.
