Minkah Fitzpatrick defends hit that ended Nick Chubb's season: 'I'm not a dirty player'
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick defended his hit on Nick Chubb from Monday night's game that resulted in the Cleveland Browns running back suffering a season-ending knee injury.
"It's very unfortunate. It's a tough, tough injury," Fitzpatrick said Thursday via ESPN's Brooke Pryor. "Unfortunately, part of the game we play. I know there's people that [believed there was] ill will behind the tackle. It's not the case whatsoever. I'm a guy that's a competitor who's going to go out there and play the game. I'm chippy. I'm edgy, of course, but I'm not a dirty player. I'm not going to sit here and defend my character. I know the type of player I am. Chubb knows the type of player I am. I've played against him a bunch in the past. Five years, two times a year. I love competing against him. He brings the best out of me, and I bring the best out of him."
Chubb was hit low by Fitzpatrick as the Browns running back was being taken down by linebacker Cole Holcomb near the goal line during the first half of the Steelers' 26-22 win. The injury to Chubb's leg was so graphic that ESPN refused to show replays.
Fitzpatrick faced criticism for the way he went in for the hit, but was also defended by former players like ex-Steeler James Harrison and NFL Network's Jason McCourty.
"No chance that I would ever try to purposefully injure somebody," Fitzpatrick said. "Unfortunate event. We play a physical game and people get hurt. People sit behind a screen and tell me how I should have done it or what they would have done and they've never played the game. It's a fast game. Things happen."
Fitzpatrick explained that he made the decision to go low with the hit when he saw Chubb run toward the hole in the offensive line and it was in part to protect himself.
"If I tackle a guy like Nick Chubb high, he's running full speed downhill and I'm stationary, I'm going to get ran over and I'm going to get concussed," Fitzpatrick said. "I know it's an offensive game and people want to see points, but defensive players are people, too. We got to protect ourselves, and when you're tackling big guys, it's easier, you take less of a brunt on your body and your head when you go low."
Fitzpatrick added that while Chubb was on the ground he did let him know that the hit was not intentional.
