Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick Called Out By Nate Burleson For 'Dirty' Hit On Nick Chubb; Former Steelers Come To His Defense

The Pittsburgh Steelers got a much needed victory over the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football in Week 2. Unfortunately, the game saw Browns star running back Nick Chubb go down with a gruesome knee injury that will keep him out for the season. Despite the rivalry between the two teams, nobody on either side wanted to see any type of injury, and hopefully Chubb will be able to make a strong recovery and get back on a football field next season. The injury was the result of a hit from Steelers safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and some are calling the hit dirty. 

Steelers' Fitzpatrick Called Out For "Dirty" Hit

Chubb was injured while running the ball as he tried to get into the end zone as the Browns were inside the Steelers 10-yard line. Chubb is a large, powerful running back who it often takes more than one tackler to get him down to the ground. He already had one tackler hanging onto him, and Fitzpatrick came in from the safety position and hit Chubb low. That forced Chubb's knee to contort in a weird way that forced him to suffer the injury. 

Many are debating whether or not the hit by Fitzpatrick should be deemed "dirty," with many former defensive players in the NFL saying it was the only way he could have gotten Chubb down. One former NFL receiver turned media personality, Nate Burleson, thought the hit was unnecessary, possibly dirty, and responded to a tweet by former Steelers safety, Ryan Clark. 

"The reason there is outrage about that hit on Chubb isn't about the game or its fans getting soft. The problem is Minkah, who is a veteran DB torpedoed at Chubb's leg while he was already being taken down by a defender. For me it's 1 of 2 things, malicious or a weak attempt at tackling someone. I don't know Minkah well enough to call him dirty, so I won't." 

It's extremely understandable how some might view the hit as dirty since Fitzpatrick tackled him low, however it was the only option Fitzpatrick had on the play at the time that would get Chubb to the ground, and possibly keep him from scoring. Fitzpatrick does not have a reputation for being a dirty player, so it is no doubt he had no agenda to hurt Chubb on the play. Clark doubled down in his defense of Fitzpatrick, responding to Burleson. 

"I disagree, and being in that position as a defender is something people who haven't can't fully understand. It is not Minkah's job to protect other players. It's his job to get them to the ground and defend every blade of grass."

Clark was known as a hard-hitting safety during his playing days, but the NFL was a lot different back then and has since made many advancements when it comes to player safety. The hit by Fitzpatrick was not a hard hit, he was just doing his job as Clark said. Trying to get his opponent to the ground.

Fitzpatrick had another former Steelers defender come to his defense after the hit, one of his former teammates with the Steelers Vince Williams. Williams has some experience playing against Chubb, and referenced his playing days in his defense of Fitzpatrick. 

"I've been ran over by Nick Chubb several times. Tackling him high up is not the best decision. Injuries happen, running backs are the least protected position on offense. Tell your kids to play another position."

Williams had three years of experience playing against Chubb, and knows that with those elite and powerful running backs, you can't hit them high up and hope for the best, you have to hit them low to get them to the ground quicker. Unfortunately, the league doesn't protect running backs the same way they do other positions on the offense, and we often see them suffer many injuries because of it. 

Williams tweeted multiple times in defense of Fitzpatrick, including him saying that players should not prioritize other players health when they have a job to do. Clearly Fitzpatrick was just trying to get Chubb down, but had he not made that tackle, there was a good chance Chubb would have ended up in the end zone. Williams had a direct response to the comments made by Burleson. 

"We are getting close to two hand touch. This is a horrible take. I have tackled and been ran over multiple times in this league. You don't have time to take the perfect aim for a tackle. Injuries are going to happen when bodies are flying around full speed. Prayers up for Nick."

In addition to the injury to Chubb, Fitzpatrick was also injured on the same play. It seemed he may have just suffered a stinger or gotten the wind knocked out of him as he was able to return to the game. Although he was able to continue playing after that game, he did suffer a chest injury later in the game that had him be sent to a local hospital. Many players were injured in the game Monday night, with the worst being Chubb. Steelers fans every where hope he is okay and finds a way to make a speedy recovery.