Minkah Fitzpatrick on Nick Chubb hit - 'I'm not a dirty player' - ESPN

PITTSBURGH — Speaking for the first time since his tackle of Nick Chubb resulted in a season-ending knee injury for the Cleveland Browns running back, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick emphasized there was no «ill will» behind the play.

Fitzpatrick also said he told Chubb after the play that it «wasn't intentional.»

«I'm a guy that is a competitor, that's going to go out there and play the game,» Fitzpatrick said Thursday. «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 played against him for the past five years, two times a year.

«And I love competing against him. He brings the best out of me and I bring the best out of him. No chance that I would ever try and purposely injure somebody, always. It was an unfortunate event.»

Fitzpatrick came in to assist inside linebacker Cole Holcomb on a tackle of Chubb near the goal line early in the second quarter of Monday night's win. Fitzpatrick hit Chubb low, and his knee folded in an unnatural direction.

«I didn't see anybody on [the hole],» Fitzpatrick said. «And I made the decision as soon as I seen the hole open up — and him in the hole — to go low.… It's a fast game.… You make decisions within milliseconds. You can't really control what happens after you choose to make your decision. I already chose to go low. Somebody got on his back as I was going low and what happened, happened; there's nothing I really would do differently. It's very unfortunate. Chubb's a great player. He makes the game a lot better when he's playing.»

Chubb suffered a season-ending knee surgery and will undergo surgery, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said