Steelers begins post-Ben life by trading for DB Fitzpatrick

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have no plans to bail on the season with Ben Roethlisberger out until 2020 with an elbow injury.

“Our level of expectations in terms of our performance will not change,” coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday.

A day removed from announcing Roethlisberger’s aching right elbow will require surgery that will sideline him for the rest of the year, the Steelers (0-2) began the process of moving on by upgrading their uneven defense and bringing in some depth behind new starting quarterback Mason Rudolph.

Pittsburgh sent three draft picks — a first-rounder and a fifth-rounder in 2020 and a sixth-rounder in 2021 — to Miami for defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2020 fourthround pick. The Steelers also signed former Denver backup Paxton Lynch to the practice squad behind Rudolph and second-stringer Delvin Hodges.

Fitzpatrick, the 11th overall selection in the 2018 draft, had grown frustrated with his role for the rebuilding Dolphins. Miami began shopping him after a Week 1 loss to Baltimore and found a willing partner in the Steelers, who will be without starting safety Sean Davis for at least the next two months after Davis sustained a shoulder injury against Seattle last Sunday. The team placed Davis on injured reserve, though Tomlin said there’s a chance Davis could return later in the season.

Tomlin admitted the coaching staff became enamored with Fitzpatrick in the lead-up to the 2018 draft, but knew any chance at getting Fitzpatrick was a “pipe dream” with the Steelers drafting 28th. Miami took Fitzpatrick 17 spots higher, with Pittsburgh taking safety Terrell Edmunds later in the opening round. Now Edmunds and Fitzpatrick will line up alongside each other on Sunday in San Francisco.