For the previous a number of years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been also known as having a “Huge Three” on the defensive aspect of the soccer, with these three gamers being OLB T.J. Watt, DL Cameron Heyward and S Minkah Fitzpatrick. All three guys are recognized as the highest participant, or one of many prime gamers, at their place group within the league. They’ve the accolades and the profession manufacturing to again it up.
Watt’s standing in Pittsburgh is unquestioned as the previous Defensive Participant of the Yr is ready to interrupt the financial institution this offseason as soon as he and Pittsburgh agree on a contract extension. The identical goes for Heyward because the workforce’s longest-tenured participant, signing a contact extension final offseason that ought to probably make him a Steeler for all times as he performs out the twilight of his profession.
Nevertheless, Minkah Fitzpatrick sits in a bizarre spot heading into the 2025 season that can probably outline his future profession standing with Pittsburgh. The Steelers traded for Fitzpatrick in the beginning of the 2019 season, buying him from the Miami Dolphins for his or her 2020 first spherical choose. The commerce initially was an enormous success as Fitzpatrick shored up the defensive secondary and shortly grew to become a frontrunner on the defensive aspect of the soccer, making the Professional Bowl and being elected as a First Group All-Professional in his first season in Pittsburgh. That season, he picked off 5 passes (one returned for a landing) whereas deflecting 9 passes, forcing two fumbles and recovering three extra.
Since coming to Pittsburgh, Fitzpatrick has been named a First Group All-Professional 3 times and elected to the Professional Bowl 5 occasions, turning into one of many extra well-known and revered safeties within the sport. Nonetheless, recency bias hasn’t been form to Fitzpatrick because the splash performs have been few and much between the final two seasons, having solely picked off one move, one compelled fumble, no fumble recoveries, and 7 move deflections throughout 27 begins.
Granted, Fitzpatrick missed time in 2023 as a consequence of knee and hamstring accidents that probably hampered his play all year long. Nonetheless, his play final season was down from earlier years, incomes a 65.2 total grade from Professional Soccer Focus. He by no means dipped under a 74.0 grade throughout his first three seasons in Pittsburgh. Not solely has his manufacturing as a protection defender dipped, however his effectiveness in opposition to the run additionally dropped, posting a 69.5 run protection grade, as our personal Josh Carney beforehand highlighted.
The Steelers signed Fitzpatrick to a four-year deal price $73.61 million in June of 2022, making him the very best paid security within the league on the time of his signing. He nonetheless has two years left on his cope with cap hits of $22,355,000 in 2025 and $24,455,000 in 2026. Pittsburgh is unlikely to half methods with Fitzpatrick through launch, but when he would have a third-straight down season in 2025, Pittsburgh would save $17.6 million in opposition to the cap with $6.855 million in lifeless cap ought to they select to half methods with him heading to his age 30 season.
I’m not clamoring for Pittsburgh to chop Fitzpatrick. I’m hoping he bounces again and makes this text look silly by the midpoint of the 2025 season. Nevertheless, it’s evident that Fitzpatrick hasn’t not too long ago performed to the extent of his contract. Seeing how S DeShon Elliott acquired rewarded with a contract extension to the tune of $6 million per 12 months in new cash, it may be onerous to justify paying Fitzpatrick almost 4 occasions that quantity for comparable manufacturing.
Minkah Fitzpatrick is an integral a part of the Pittsburgh Steelers protection and is seen as one of many faces of the franchise, making a lower unlikely. Nonetheless, 2025 will probably be a make-or-break 12 months for the star security. His efficiency this season will go a great distance into Pittsburgh’s resolution in extending Fitzpatrick to a different contract that will have him probably end his profession within the Metal Metropolis.
