Pittsburgh Steelers’ Minkah Fitzpatrick defends hit that knocked Browns Nick Chubb out for the season, ‘nothing I would do differently’

Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has defended his hit on Nick Chubb that ended the running back’s season, insisting there is “nothing I would really do differently.”

Chubb’s left knee was injured Monday night when Fitzpatrick tackled the running back low, causing him to be carted off the field and later require season-ending surgery.

But while the fallout from the action was devastating for Chubb, Fitzpatrick said Thursday he was just trying to make a “football play.”

“I can’t really control what happens after you choose to make a decision. I have already chosen to go low,” he told reporters. “Someone got on his back when I went low, and what happened happened.

‘There’s nothing I would really do differently. Again, as I said before, it’s a shame. Nick Chubb is a great player. He makes the game a lot better when he plays. Just hope for a speedy recovery.’

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

Minkah Fitzpatrick (left) has defended the unfortunate goal that injured Nick Chubb

Fitzpatrick rebuked suggestions that he was a ‘dirty’ competitor, saying: ‘I’m chippy, I’m tense of course, but I’m not a dirty player.

“I’m not going to sit here and defend my character. I know what type of player I am, Chubb knows what type of player I am.

‘I love competing against him. He gets the best out of me and I get the best out of him. There is no way I would ever try to intentionally injure anyone.”

The safety also hit out at critics who were “behind a screen” and claimed his hit was too low or dangerous.

“I’d say they’ve never tackled Nick Chubb before when they tell me to go for the high,” he said.

Chubb was injured in the first half of Monday Night Football after a low tackle by Fitzpatrick

‘Two: What I saw was it opened up, it’s the goal line. I didn’t see anyone with him. I made the decision as soon as I saw the hole open and saw him in the hole to go low. You can tell me how to tackle it low, but it’s a fast game. It’s a game where you make decisions in milliseconds.

Chubb suffered a serious injury to the same knee in 2015 while studying in Georgia: a dislocation with three torn ligaments.

Lebron James then led the tribute to the injured players, writing: ‘DAMN MAN!!!! Nick Chubb. Praying for the very best.”

‘Just the worst feeling. Gutted for Nick Chubb,” JJ Watt added, “Hope Minkah is okay. Injuries suck man. They are absolutely worthless.”

Jerome Ford, who replaced Chubb on Monday, now appears poised to serve as the Browns’ frontrunner.