We haven’t heard much from Pittsburgh Steelers superstar Minkah Fitzpatrick this offseason. He did sign a four-year, $73.6 million contract extension just last summer, so he’s locked up in Pittsburgh for the foreseeable future. The front office has been busy upgrading the roster around him, including adding several new guys in a revamped secondary.
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Pittsburgh Steelers star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick communicates with his teammates in a 2022 regular season game at Acrisure Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens.
The safety showed up to OTAs, something he thought was important in order to build chemistry with the new defensive backs on the team. He specifically spoke with free agent signing Patrick Peterson, making sure the core group would be present for the optional workouts. So, what did the Alabama product focus on improving this summer?
"I wanted to become more advanced in my IQ in the understanding of the game. I've been sitting down a lot and breaking down a lot of film with different coaches. I like to be in the right position, but I don't want the quarterback to know where I'm at," Fitzpatrick said via Steelers.com.
Fitzpatrick is coming off yet another elite season in Pittsburgh, as he made his third Pro Bowl and was selected to the AP All-Pro First Team for a third time. In 15 games, he racked up a career-high six interceptions, 11 pass deflections, and 96 total tackles. He proved to be well-worth the $73.6 million spent on him last June, which made him the highest-paid safety in the NFL at the time.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers defense should be one of the best in the NFL in 2023, led by veteran stars defensive tackle, Cam Heyward and edge rusher TJ Watt. Watt was the NFL's 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year.
If he does indeed improve in this phase of his game, it will be a scary sight for the rest of the NFL, and it could pay dividends for this Steelers team. With a new group on the back-end, communication will be key this upcoming season. While the defense has several new pieces as a whole, that doesn’t change the expectations. Led by Fitzpatrick, Cam Heyward, and TJ Watt, Pittsburgh is expected to have a top-five (at worst) defense in 2023.
There’s too much talent, and money spent, for them to not be that. At times, the defense struggled in 2022. With Peterson, Keanu Neal, and the rookie corner duo making up a new-look secondary, Fitzpatrick is surprised at the group’s progress already:
"It's been good. I think we're doing a really good job, I think we're ahead of the game. We're definitely ahead of where I thought we would be, which is exciting," Fitzpatrick said when speaking to media on Wednesday.
Having a guy like Peterson in the fold certainly helps make the transition smoother for some of the younger guys. Fitzpatrick mentioned that it's an "honor" to be able to share the field with the future Hall of Fame cornerback. The defense seems to be more versatile all-around, specifically in the secondary. Peterson is a perfect example of that, as he's seen some snaps in the slot so far this summer.
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With Arthur Maulet no longer in the mix, the Steelers seem to have a hole at the slot cornerback position.
That will be a position to watch for the rest of the summer, as the team released Arthur Maulet, per his request, about a month ago. Despite that potential flaw, the 2023 secondary seems to have a lot more upside. Fitzpatrick feels as if they have a perfect blend of veteran experience and young energy in that DB room. In a few months, we will find out, but the early signs are encouraging.
Where does Fitzpatrick already rank amongst the best safeties in team history? Are you confident in the team's cornerback room for 2023? Are you concerned about possible communication issues in the secondary? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!
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