The Pittsburgh Steelers' superstar free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick's rookie contract is set to expire after the 2022 season. Fitzpatrick is a staple of this Steelers' defense and keeping him under contract for as long as possible is a must. The Steelers exercised the safety's fifth-year option last off-season, allowing him to play under contract this upcoming season. The fifth-year option is costing the team around $10.6 million this season.
Nov 3, 2019; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (39) returns an interception for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
In an ESPN article written by reporter Jeremy Fowler, he listed Steelers' Fitzpatrick as one the NFL stars next in line for a contract extension:
"The Steelers have shown that first-round picks who become stars while on their roster will usually get rewarded a year out from free agency. T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and David DeCastro are among those who got extended before Week 1 of their fifth-year option season.Fitzpatrick, one of the game's top safeties, now falls into that category. But he also knows the Steelers operate on their own time, which means we should look ahead to sometime between July and the September kickoff. "They won't be rushed into a deal," a source said. Under recently retired GM Kevin Colbert, the Steelers also did not negotiate in-season."
I'm confident that a long-term deal will get done sooner or later for Fitzpatrick.
Since acquiring Fitzpatrick in a mid-September trade, the Steelers have won seven of 10 games. The safety has eight of the team’s league-leading 28 takeaways, and two touchdowns, over that span.Credit...Keith Srakocic/Associated Press
On what kind of deal we can expect the Steelers to give Fitzpatrick, Fowler said:
"Fitzpatrick will likely be aiming for Jamal Adams' market-setting $17.5 million per year. He's in the top five among safeties in interceptions since 2019 (11) and has 36 career pass deflections and two first-team All-Pro selections.What further helps Fitzpatrick: The Steelers relented on their guarantee structures with Watt's deal last year. Old Pittsburgh deals featured no guarantees beyond the signing bonus, but Watt has $80 million in guaranteed money on his four-year, $112 million deal."
$17.5 million per year is a bargain for a player of Fitzpatrick's caliber. I mean, the safety almost single-handedly kept the Steelers alive in the 2019 season, after the team made a trade with the Miami Dolphins to acquire him. It's a new day in the NFL and NFL front offices are giving out more guaranteed money than they have in the past. Don't be surprised if Fitzpatrick becomes the NFL's highest paid safety before the season kicks off against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. I don't think the team changes their ways to negotiate deals in season, so the deal will get done before Week 1 to lock up Fitzpatrick for the foreseeable future. The safety should be a Steeler for life.
Pittsburgh Steelers safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick (#39) participates in Organized Team Activities (OTA's) on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. (Abigail Dean/Pittsburgh Steelers)
The superstar, All-Pro safety has collected 352 combined tackles, 36 pass deflections, 4 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, 13 interceptions, and 3 defensive touchdowns in his career. Quarterbacks fear throwing near him, the team needs to pay the man!
What do yinz think? Will the Steelers get a deal done for their superstar free safety before the 2022 NFL season gets underway? Let us know in the comment section below, or on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram!
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