Pittsburgh Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick has not produced an interception in the past 19 games. He has no forced fumbles or fumble recoveries during that time, either. That is not to say he isn’t doing plenty of other things very well, but what is zero takeaways worth at free safety?
For the Steelers, that’s another $33,100,000 over the next two years. That is what they owe Minkah Fitzpatrick for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, one of which is guaranteed. And Mike DeFabo of The Athletic can’t help but wonder if entertaining the possibility of moving him this offseason is worth considering, given the price tag.
“If I’m the Steelers, I take a hard look at this position group in the offseason”, he wrote for The Athletic recently. “Fitzpatrick still has a strong reputation around the league. If he isn’t producing much splash, it’s really not the craziest idea to see how much another team would offer in a trade and whether the Steelers could fill this role with a more cost-conscious solution”.
DeFabo also notes that such a move “might even be necessary” in light of predictable future expenditures. The Steelers are trending toward paying QB Russell Wilson $30 million or more per season, and WR George Pickens is in need of a new contract, as well. Do they need a free safety who will be looking for probably a $23 million APY deal after the 2025 season? If Minkah Fitzpatrick is not producing takeaways, what is he worth? He doesn’t even have a T-shirt.
Of course, odds are Fitzpatrick isn’t going to continue drawing a blank in the takeaway department. It’s not uncommon for elite cornerbacks to see few takeaways because teams don’t throw to them. Defenses certainly pay attention to where Fitzpatrick is, the way the Steelers avoided Jessie Bates III.
One aspect to consider as well is, the Steelers can reasonably anticipate a shift from defense to offense. The offense is generally young and now maturing while the defense is typically older. Cameron Heyward is not immortal, though he doesn’t look close to retirement. But at some point they are going to have to throw money at the offense, and not just to Pat Freiermuth. Could they sacrifice one high-value defensive contract, reaping compensatory rewards in return, to address that?
I wouldn’t bet on it, quite frankly, though the Steelers are more willing to trade assets. They dealt Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson, for example, though they were ready to part ways. On the field and off, Minkah Fitzpatrick gives the Steelers no reason to want to seek their fortunes elsewhere.
Takeaways are huge, and there is a reason the Steelers harp on them so much. But it’s not the only way by which you measure a player, and the reality is the Steelers are producing takeaways even if Fitzpatrick isn’t getting them. By playing within the structure of the defense, he is contributing to them. It’s not like he is dropping passes and whiffing on tackles. Is the idea of considering a trade for Fitzpatrick crazy? No, of course not. You never know what you might get for him. But it would have to be worth an awful lot for a player they once broke precedent trading a first-round pick for.
