Report: Steelers' Diontae Johnson & Minkah Fitzpatrick got into altercation
Following an embarrassing loss to Cleveland last Sunday, something seemed off among the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team was rightfully upset, but the tone of the players was different, and the vibe of the locker room seemingly reached an all-time low. No one embodied more than RB Najee Harris, with comments that gave a look into […]
Following an embarrassing loss to Cleveland last Sunday, something seemed off among the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The team was rightfully upset, but the tone of the players was different, and the vibe of the locker room seemingly reached an all-time low.
No one embodied more than RB Najee Harris, with comments that gave a look into a team that was seemingly fracturing at the seams. Well, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, it turns out that may very well have been happening:
Minkah Fitzptrick & Dionate Johnson Get Heated
Diontae Johnson's on-field frustration Sunday in Cleveland continued after the game in the Pittsburgh Steelers' locker room, where he got into a heated argument with teammate Minkah Fitzpatrick before Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt broke up the altercation and delivered a message that the team needed to stick together, league sources told ESPN on Saturday.
Order eventually was restored in the locker room, but the argument between two of the team's star players left a mark going forward on the Steelers, who fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada two days later.
One source told ESPN that Johnson, the Steelers' second-leading receiver, continued "chirping" at the coaches all the way into the locker room, where Fitzpatrick — a three-time first-team All-Pro — began arguing with Johnson. The words between Johnson and Fitzpatrick became "heated," according to another source, before Heyward and Watt intervened and prevented the situation from getting worse.
– Adam Schefter ESPN
I believe this story all but confirms how bad things were getting in Pittsburgh and the need for Mike Tomlin to pull the string on Matt Canada's tenure with the Steelers.
Say what you want about Coach Tomlin, but his innate feel for the tenor of his players is part of the reason why he's been successful for so long. The minute he started to feel that slip, he made a move that unfortunately should have been done a while ago.
In terms of Minkah and DJ, I wouldn't be too worried. Two Pro Bowlers with alpha personalities, Johnson along with the rest of the skill players on offense had every right to be frustrated with the lack of offensive success.
At the same time, Minkah has always been a pseudo-coach on the field, and was taught the game by Nick Saban at the University of Alabama, meaning he believes coaches deserve the utmost respect, regardless of the situation.
So I don't want to pick sides, nor do I want to condone calling out coaches in front of other players. But this report is just a glimpse into what was going wrong in Pittsburgh. Najee Harris gave a behind-the-scenes look when he told reporters: "If only yall saw what goes on here every day," leaving many to ponder what exactly that meant.
Looks like we just found out.
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