While Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick is in need of a bounce-back season, the team has never given any indication it has considered moving on from him. Whether via trade or otherwise, the thought of making a change hasn’t crossed their minds. And it’s a good thing, too, according to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, because he isn’t worth anything anymore.
The potential for the Steelers to trade Minkah Fitzpatrick had been a hot offseason topic, off and on. While it’s clear by now that that isn’t happening, barring a spectacular offer, the impetus for the discussion remains. With just one interception in the past two years, the former All-Pro has to turn things around.
A recent Fittipaldo chat saw the Steelers beat writer field a question about Minkah Fitzpatrick. Asked why they weren’t looking to trade him to trade to recoup the second-round pick they gave up to acquire WR DK Metcalf, Fittipaldo had some bad news.
“What’s the trade market for an aging safety with a $22 million cap hit?”, he wrote. “I’ll tell you. Nonexistent”. At 28, I don’t know that Fitzpatrick is old enough to fall under the “aging” category by the Steelers’ standards. Safeties also tend to play a little bit longer than cornerbacks at a higher level.
But the point about the market value is still worth considering. The question is how much other teams, not just the Steelers, still value Minkah Fitzpatrick. Now, he did make the Pro Bowl outright last year, which even surprised him. Considering the votes mostly come from coaches and players, that is an indication of his reputation.
From 2019 through 2022, Minkah Fitzpatrick recorded 354 tackles for the Steelers with 17 interceptions, 38 passes defensed, and three forced fumbles. He made the Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro in three of those four seasons. While he has still made the Pro Bowl each of the past two years, his quality of play hasn’t matched.
During the 2023 season, the Steelers watched as Fitzpatrick struggled with injuries. He only played in 10 games, his playing time broken up by multiple ailments. But he was already underperforming even irrespective of injuries. The theory then was that a shift in his role affected his ability to make impact plays.
Whatever the reason, the Steelers need Minkah Fitzpatrick to start playing “Minkah ball”, as he called it. The thing is, he talked about getting back to that last year, and it didn’t happen. While he still played better than an average safety, he also had an unusual number of lapses, particularly last season.
If Fitzpatrick is going to continue to make more mistakes while delivering few impact plays, then the Steelers are going to have to address the matter at some point. I don’t know that I agree with Fittipaldo about his trade value, given his Pro Bowl representation as a reflection of his standing with his peers, although it’s front offices and owners who pull the trigger on trades, not coaches and players. But regardless, he hasn’t been earning his high salaries, so something has to give.
