Minkah Fitzpatrick has been paid like he’s the best safety in the NFL. He believes that’s the case, and now is ready to keep proving it.
Fitzpatrick spoke Thursday, a day after the Steelers gave him the largest contract extension ever given to an NFL safety in the game’s history, a five-year deal with more than $73.6 million.
“It’s a blessing. It’s something you work for for a long time,” Fitzpatrick said. “When I was 15, I was telling my father that I’m going to be in this position that I am today. Being here is surreal, it’s awesome.
“I’m happy that we got it done in the timing that we got it. I’m very fortunate to be able to be a Pittsburgh Steeler for the long run.”
Fitzpatrick did not fully participate in the team’s voluntary OTAs and mandatory minicamp over the last month, but was present. His teammates appreciated that Fitzpatrick made it a point to help out, despite the contract negotiations.
“One, it’s hard for me to be away from the game,” he explained. “I love this game and it’s a big part of who I am and my identity. Two, I could’ve been home, in Florida, training and with my family. But I wanted to come up here and show my teammates that I’m focused on winning.”
The deal also comes at an interesting time. There was some speculation that Fitzpatrick might wait until training camp to sign the deal and, potentially, wait until the end of the preseason, similar to what Steelers outside linebacker TJ Watt did last year before signing his mammoth deal.
But, ultimately, Fitzpatrick and the Steelers decided that now was the opportune time.
“It was important,” he said. “I wanted to be out there with my teammates, practicing and competing.
“That’s what (Steelers GM Omar Khan) and (team owner Art Rooney II) wanted to do. They reached out a few weeks ago and said that they were ready to start the negotiation process… We went back and forth for a little while. They wanted to get it done.”
The Steelers acquired Fitzpatrick in 2019, trading a first-round pick to Miami. That move, which came just hours after the team learned that Ben Roethlisberger would miss the season with an elbow injury, proved a lot to Fitzpatrick.
“We lost out starting quarterback, our legendary, Hall of Fame quarterback,” he said. “It could’ve been a season where they just tanked and decided to call it quits. But they went out and acquired me, acquired a few other guys and said ‘we’re going to do what we have to do to win games. If we have to win on defense, we’ll win on defense.’
“Obviously it wasn’t a perfect season, but it was a season dedicated toward winning. That set the tone for these last few seasons… They’re going to do whatever it takes to win, and they’re going to hold you to that standard on a day-to-day basis.”
The Steelers — and Fitzpatrick — hope that the 2022 season will allow him to operate in a way that better suits his playmaking skillset.
Last year, with a porous run defense in front of him, the 25-year-old made 116 tackles, the ninth-most in the NFL and most ever by a Steelers defensive back.
“Last year was not to our standard at all,” he said. “Myself, TJ (Watt), Cam (Heyward), all of us were not happy or pleased at all with how the season ended.
"Especially in that playoff game (Pittsburgh’s 42-21 loss in Kansas City in the AFC Wild Card round). It was an embarrassment, honestly. It was not our typical selves, and that’s what motivates us.”
While the Steelers lost defensive end Stephon Tuitt to retirement, there has been a sense that the run game will improved. The Steelers have made some upgrades across the field, and in the coaching ranks — including the hiring of Fitzpatrick’s former head coach in Miami, Brian Flores, as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach.
Fitzpatrick had nine interceptions over his first 30 games in Pittsburgh, but had just two last year. With an improved run defense, he can potentially become more of a ball hawk again.
And the Steelers feel he can get back to that, clearly. The financial commitment is a massive one for a safety, but is one that comes with immense confidence from both sides of the deal.
“I think I’m the best at what I do,” Fitzpatrick said. “So, obviously, you’d like to be paid in that way, represented in that way.
“Mr. Rooney and Omar, they see the work that I put in, and obviously my play on the field reflects that.”