The Pittsburgh Steelers have a ton of questions that the organization needs to address during the 2025 offseason. Fans will mostly be talking about the offensive side of the ball and the quarterback position, but the defense has some issues that must be brought up. It is the highest paid defensive unit in the NFL, and it completely fell apart at the end of the 2024 season while the Steelers went on a five-game losing streak. The defense is no longer worth the price the organization pays, and it is time to make some changes.
Some of the highest paid players on the defense for Pittsburgh are TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, Cam Heyward, Patrick Queen, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Most of those players do their job. Highsmith had a down year due to injury, but made plays when on the field, Queen was a bit inconsistent, and Fitzpatrick was in charge of patrolling the middle of the field. Fitzpatrick did a good job of not letting anything get behind him and making tackles, but the fan base misses those splash plays he used to make.
It is hard to justify Fitzpatrick's salary now that he is just keeping plays in front of him and rarely making the splash plays that most fans are accustomed to. The safety has a cap hit of just over $22 million in 2025, and it is safe to say he is overpaid. During an article written on The Athletic, Derrik Classen shared that there could be a possibility the team will move on from Fitzpatrick.
"Part of the Steelers’ equation in years past counted on Minkah Fitzpatrick’s ability to roam the middle of the field and generate plays out of thin air, but Fitzpatrick is coming off the worst year of his career," Classen wrote. "It’d be both unlikely and difficult for the Steelers to move on from Fitzpatrick, but it’s probably a conversation they’re having."
It is important to note that Fitzpatrick's production doesn't always show up in the box score. Quarterbacks certainly avoid his area of the field in situations, and his impact can't be measured by any stat in that regard. On the season, the safety recorded 96 total tackles, four passes defensed, a forced fumble, and an interception.
Fitzpatrick wasn't always in the position to make big plays during the 2024 season, as he was heavily relied upon to take away the middle of the field. The unfortunate side of this is that no team should be paying anyone $22 million to just make sure nothing gets behind them. Fitzpatrick is overpaid in his current role, and unless that role changes, the Steelers need to consider moving on from the veteran safety.
The lone bright spot of the 2024 season for Fitzpatrick is that he managed to remain healthy throughout the entire year, which was something he struggled with prior to 2024.
Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick Should Have Good Trade Value
If the Steelers were to get rid of Fitzpatrick, it should be through a trade. The safety is still very respected throughout the NFL as he has made three consecutive Pro Bowls, even when he wasn't necessarily deserving of a Pro Bowl nod in 2023 or 2024. The Steelers could probably bring in significant draft capital if the organization did decide to deal Fitzpatrick.
The safety is signed through the 2026 season, and he is currently only 28-years old. His youth and skill should be attractive to some other organization. The Steelers can fill his role with a rookie or a cheaper free agent option, as trading Fitzpatrick would open up more cap space.
The defense collapsed in 2024 for the Steelers, and changes must be made. Is getting rid of Fitzpatrick the right move?
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