Minkah Fitzpatrick struck Browns running back Nick Chubb in Week 2 of the 2023 season, sending him to injured reserve and ending his season. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick of the Pittsburgh Steelers took Chubb by the legs as he got close to the goal line.
Many football fans swiftly branded Minkah as a filthy player, but the All-Pro safety claimed he never intended for Chubb to suffer the fate he suffered.
Running back Chubb, a four-time Pro Bowler, had his left knee give way under him at the first contact. On September 29, he had surgery to repair his meniscus and MCL. On October 31, he had surgery to repair his ACL.
Chubb, the running back for the Browns, has been outspoken since his surgery and the beginning of his rehabilitation more than eight months ago.
When Chubb was questioned by the media recently on Fitzpatrick’s hit that ruined his season, he said. Here’s what Eric Edholm of NFL.com said about him.
It wasn’t at all a dirty hit, in my opinion. I do not hold Fitzgerald accountable. That’s how the game works.”
Chubb didn’t hold Fitzpatrick accountable or show resentment for the blow to his knee. Even yet, early in the season, Minkah heard about his “dirty” hit.
Fitzpatrick experienced a run of personal misfortune regarding his health. Fitzpatrick went down with a non-contact hamstring injury eight snaps into the Steelers’ Week 8 game against the Jaguars. This illness would keep him off his feet for the next four weeks.
Week 15 marked Fitzpatrick’s third game back from the injury. After colliding with his knee, former Steelers teammate Patrick Peterson opened fire on him. Before suiting up in the playoffs, he would miss the remainder of the regular season.
While some may argue that Minkah’s injury to his knee is sweet retribution for what he did to Nick Chubb at the beginning of the season, the majority of us recognize that injuries are a part of sports and that Chubb was not intentionally hit in order to put him out of action.
The fact that Chubb is the Cleveland Browns’ starting running back is irrelevant. Nobody enjoys watching a player sustain a horrific injury. When it comes to his recuperation, Chubb is adamant that he is happy with his current situation and where he should be.
Let’s hope he can fully recuperate and return to the football field for the benefit of the league.
