Maybe Minkah Fitzpatrick can change his number to 17.
That's the number of defensive snaps he played in the Steelers' 24-20 loss to the 49ers before forcing his second turnover of the game.
He can't, of course, go with 12, the number of snaps he played before his first turnover. That number, while not officially retired, hasn't been used by the team since Terry Bradshaw's retirement.
But 17, that could work, though NFL rules prohibit defensive backs from wearing numbers in the teens.
So for now, Fitzpatrick will have to stick with the No. 39 he was given last week when he was acquired by the Steelers from the Dolphins for three draft picks, including their first-round selection in 2020.
It's not the 29 he wore at both Alabama and the Dolphins, but he's OK with that, as well. That wasn't his first number of choice, either.
He wanted the No 21 he had worn in honor of his father, who wore that number when he played. It was his number growing up in New Jersey and he wore it from the time he started playing all the way through high school.
"They gave me 29 when I got to Alabama," Fitzpatrick told me Thursday. "My number had been 21 in high school. I wanted that number, but somebody else had it. I wanted that number, but I figured if I played well, I might as well just keep it."
Steelers fans holding off on purchasing that No. 39 Fitzpatrick jersey might be OK with doing so now. He won't be switching to 29 with the Steelers anytime soon.
First, it's already in service to safety Kameron Kelly. Second, NFL rules don't allow players to change numbers once another player has been on the field for a certain number of snaps in a season. And third, Fitzpatrick played really well in No. 39 against the 49ers, despite the loss.
“I was really impressed by his ability to learn, and learn in a short period of time and to absorb the number of snaps he was able to absorb,” Mike Tomlin said. “Kudos not only goes to him, but in an effort to simplify things for him we asked some additional things of others. For the large part we got what we needed there.
“It will be good to get him with some additional time and for him to be able to continue to learn the depths of what we do and have a better understanding. That is not going to do anything but aid him in terms of his productivity, and us collectively, as he gains a footing back there.”
It's the kind of production the Steelers expected when they traded their first-round and fifth-round picks in 2020 along with a sixth-round selection in 2021, to the Dolphins in exchange for Fitzpatrick, the Dolphins' fourth-round pick in 2020 and a seventh-round selection in 2021. The Steelers hadn't traded their first-round pick for a player since 1967.
Despite that, Fitzpatrick not only played but played well, just six days after arriving in Pittsburgh.
It was even surprising to his teammates.
"A little bit, because this is the National Football League and it’s tough," linebacker T.J. Watt told me. "It’s a lot of credit to him because he’s a super smart guy and he picked up the defense really well.
"He’s a ball hawk. Hopefully, he can continue to show the playmaking ability he has and it’s only going to improve as he gets more comfortable in the defense."
That's the plan.
Hey, if Fitzpatrick can record five tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and another pass defended with just three days of practice to play the 49ers, what can he accomplish with another full week under his belt before the Steelers (0-3) host the Bengals (0-3) Monday night?
The Steelers need a win to pull out of their three-game malaise to open the season. To do that, they might need more big plays out of Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick is more than willing to do that. He's been a sponge, thus far, soaking in everything the coaching staff and his new teammates have thrown at him. It's not been an easy process. But he's played football his entire life, so he's just playing on instincts. And, apparently, those instincts are pretty good.
Witness this play Fitzpatrick made that wasn't even among his forced turnovers. He begins the play as the deep safety, but recognizes Jimmy Garoppolo is getting rid of the ball with a quick pass to the flat and shoots to the line of scrimmage to limit the play to a minimal gain.
Fitzpatrick covered 20 yards on that play to arrive just after the pass and make the tackle. Imagine how good he might be when he has a better understanding of the defense and his assignments.
"It’s football. You can’t go out there and overthink it or make excuses for yourself," he said. "You just play the game of football."
No matter what uniform or number you're wearing.
Yeah, if he keeps playing like that, he might find that No. 39 suits him just fine.
Besides, his priority when it comes to numbers is simple. The No. 1 priority is getting a command of the defense and helping the Steelers get a win.
"I was pretty happy with my performance," Fitzpatrick said. "The coaches helped me prepare really well. My teammates helped me prepare really well. I was asking a lot of questions."
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Steelers practice, Rooney Sports Complex, Sept. 26, 2019 -- MATT SUNDAY / DKPS