PITTSBURGH — Less than a year after making T.J. Watt the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL, the Steelers are happy to have Minkah Fitzpatrick be the richest safety in the league.
Fitzpatrick, the two-time All-Pro whom the Steelers acquired for a first-round draft pick in 2019, agreed to a new five-year, $84.224 million contract Wednesday, a source told the Post-Gazette. That’s more than $16.8 million per year, but Fitzpatrick was due to make $10.6 million this season on his fifth-year option, so his new money average will eclipse Seattle safety Jamal Adams, who makes $17.5 million per year.
"I am very excited," Fitzpatrick said in a statement. "I am still kind of in shock right now. It's a blessing. I am really excited. It's just the beginning. I am appreciative. I am thankful. Now I just want to keep on chopping. I love the history here. What it stands for. The standard we are held to. The standard coach (Mike) Tomlin holds us to, on the field and off the field. The standard of winning playoff games, division titles and championship games.
"I really like it here. I have been playing well the last three seasons, at a high level. I love the atmosphere, the coaching, the tradition. Being able to continue that for the next few years is definitely a blessing."
Last week at minicamp, new Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin called Fitzpatrick “a unicorn” based on his football acumen and physical talent. Austin added that he had no concerns about the contract status of Fitzpatrick, whose participation was limited the last few weeks during team workouts.
In that sense, Watt walked so Fitzpatrick could run — literally. Watt did only individual drills last summer in training camp while his agent and the Steelers worked out a new contract. Now, Watt was hardly just standing around during that process, but it likely set a precedent for another star player the caliber of Fitzpatrick.
By getting the deal done now, there should be no need for Fitzpatrick to follow the Watt plan. And it could be helpful for the defense to have him practicing in full with a new coordinator and new cornerback in Levi Wallace.
Fitzpatrick declined interview requests the last few weeks, but he said last year that he was paying close attention to the negotiations with Watt. Now the Steelers have two key pieces of their young defensive core locked up through 2025 — or 2026, in Fitzpatrick’s case.
Last season wasn’t as productive for Fitzpatrick, a 2018 first-round pick of the Dolphins who doesn’t turn 26 until November. But the Steelers saw what he could do when he picked off nine passes and recovered three fumbles over his first 30 games in Pittsburgh
That set a high bar for him in 2021, when he had just two interceptions but a career-high 124 tackles. He didn’t earn any postseason accolades, but with this move by new general manager Omar Khan, the Steelers are betting on plenty more in Fitzpatrick’s future.
"We are very excited to sign Minkah to a new five-year contract," Khan said in a statement. "Minkah is one of the top safeties in the NFL and we are thrilled he will be in Pittsburgh through at least the next five years. When we traded for him, we knew he was going to be an integral part of our defense and we look forward to that continuing as we prepare for the upcoming season."
