T.J. Watt’s contract extension is grabbing all the headlines this offseason as his holdout drags beyond mandatory minicamp. But after his deal is done, the Pittsburgh Steelers could be in the clear with large contracts for quite a while.
Minkah Fitzpatrick is the biggest question mark next offseason, but his recent production doesn’t scream a large contract, and the safety market is depressed overall.
Steelers insider Mark Kaboly thinks Fitzpatrick is more likely to be looking for work next offseason than he is to get another top-of-market deal like Watt is due sometime in the coming months.
“This may be the last time they have to do this for a while,” he said of the Watt contract situation via Kaboly + Mack on Youtube. “What type of generational player do they have on the roster right now coming up in two or three years? Probably nobody. I think there’s a better chance of Minkah getting cut than getting a $40 million deal next year or whatever; I don’t even know who the highest-paid safety is right now.”
Fitzpatrick will obviously not be getting anywhere close to $40 million per season regardless of the type of season he has in 2025. Kerby Joseph is the league’s highest-paid safety at $21.25 million per season. But to his point, the conversation around Fitzpatrick whether he is worth another top-of-market contract.
When Fitzpatrick signed his first extension in 2022, he was given a four-year, $73.6 million contract with $36 million in guarantees. The safety market hasn’t continued to balloon much since then, so he’s still the fourth-highest average salary at the position. Is he worth that again?
At 28 years old, he should still have enough longevity to be worth another multi-year extension. The bigger question is his level of play in recent seasons. While his coaches continue to defend his value to the team, there is no denying a drop-off in his statistical greatness.
Over his first three seasons in Pittsburgh, Fitzpatrick had 11 interceptions, 27 passes defensed, three defensive TDs, three forced fumbles and 272 total tackles. His last three seasons have brought seven interceptions, 18 passes defensed, one defensive TD, one forced fumble and 256 total tackles. And most of those statistics came in 2022 during his last All-Pro season.
Despite the Steelers’ stated intention to get Fitzpatrick back to playing “Minkah ball”, he hasn’t been able to recapture his playmaking ways that earned him the large contract in the first place.
It’s difficult to put numbers on Fitzpatrick’s real value. How much are teams avoiding the middle of the field with him out there? And would there be a drastic increase in explosive plays if he wasn’t there to keep a lid on things? However fair those points might be, players who reset the market at their positions need to be legitimate playmakers. It’s becoming increasingly hard to view Fitzpatrick that way.
On the flipside, if he has another season similar to his last two without the playmaking, could he be cut? His 2026 cap number is $24.455 million with a base salary of $17.6 million. There are savings to be had if the Steelers deem it necessary.
If the Steelers really value him and the continuity at safety with Fitzpatrick and Elliott—who just got an extension of his own—then perhaps he could get another extension at or near the top of the market. But it would take at least a slight increase in the splash plays this season after a two-year dry spell.
Other players to consider next offseason include Patrick Queen, Joey Porter Jr., and Keeanu Benton, though none of them are likely to be in line to reset their respective markets unless they have a huge 2025 season.
