The Pittsburgh Steelers had the highest-paid defense in the NFL in 2024, and it is no surprise that their two superstar players, TJ Watt and MInkah Fitzpatrick, are responsible for the bulk of that money. Unfortunately, they didn't play like a defense that cost nearly $150 million for parts of the season, including Watt and Fitzpatrick. This has even led to talk of trading one or both of them.
While Watt was clearly banged up as the season went on, Fitzpatrick's situation is a bit more complicated. Once considered among the best safeties in the league, he has had a surprising decline in the last couple of seasons. Fans no longer see the splashy plays and incredible interceptions. However, many of his contributions can't be measured by statistics, as Head Coach Mike Tomlin likes to point out.
When Fitzpatrick is patrolling the back end, opposing offenses avoid him at all costs, knowing how dangerous he can be. They have adjusted the way they play to accommodate his talents, and the Steelers need to adjust their defense to make Fitzpatrick dangerous again.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Ray Fittipaldo was recently asked on the Pomp and Joe Show on 93.7 The Fan what he thinks the Steelers will and should do with Fitzpatrick in 2025. He has two years left on his current contract, which was for four years and more than $73.5 million. Fittipaldo said the Steelers have a lot of decisions to make before March or April.
"Minkah is a real interesting discussion," explained Fittipaldo. "He's a $22 million cap hit; he hasn't produced to the contract, so do you eat all kinds of dead money? I think they would be responsible for north of $15 million in dead money if they cut him. That's something they usually don't do. The last time they really cut a star player with two or more years remaining on the contract was 2014, when they dumped LaMarr Woodley with three years left. And there were all kinds of issues with LaMarr; he was hurt all the time, there were questions about his work ethic. You don't get that with Minkah. Minkah is mostly available, work ethic isn't an issue with him. So you would really be walking away from that or cutting him strictly because of on-the-field performance, and they usually just don't go down that road. So I will say keep him, but I understand that discussion for sure."
LaMarr Woodley was an integral part of the Steelers' defense for a few years, recording 57 sacks in his seven seasons, which included making 35 in just 47 games. He played in seven playoff games and helped the Steelers win a Super Bowl. They offered him a large contract in 2011, and he started the season strong, but suffered a hamstring injury he never really recovered from. That injury came with rumors of laziness, lack of effort, and weight concerns.
Fitzpatrick must not have lost his touch, even if his splash has been reduced because he was named to the 2025 Pro Bowl Games for his work last season. Despite missing multiple games in 2023 because of injuries, Fitzpatrick is considered a highly durable player, playing through all kinds of bumps and bruises.
Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick Part Of A Cover Up
Fitzpatrick went nearly two seasons without making a single interception, and fans began to feel he lost his touch. He finally picked off Lamar Jackson during Week 16 and got that monkey off his back.
During that dry spell, fans were hard on Fitzpatrick. Steelers fans have high expectations for their defenders, and he wasn't meeting them. However, it is possible he was covering up other player's mistakes.
There were plays where Fitzpatrick had to come up from his deep safety position to pick up tackles for players like Cam Sutton, who may not be able to chase receivers anymore like he once could. Fitzpatrick is a reliable tackler who saved the defense more often than many fans realize.
