NFL Rumors: Pittsburgh Steelers looking to make Minkah Fitzpatrick highest paid safety in the league

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been extremely active in the ongoing free agency.

Normally, the Steelers are quiet in the off-season, and stick to focusing on signing or extending their current players. With Ben Roethlisberger retiring this off-season, it's given the Steelers more flexibility with cap space and their spending.

According to NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala, the franchise are "very, very" close to getting a deal done with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick is set to become a free agent following the 2022 season. He's regarded as one of the top safeties in the league and has made the first-team All-Pro in back-to-back seasons.

The Steelers extended Defensive Player of the Year TJ Watt at the beginning of last season. They signed him to a four-year contract extension worth $112 million. Fitzpatrick could be the next defensive star on the Steelers to receive a heavy payday.

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What did Pittsburgh Steelers trade in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick?

Pittsburgh Steelers v Baltimore Ravens

In September 2019, the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired safety Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins traded Fitzpatrick along with their 2020 fourth-round and 2021 seventh-round draft picks to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They received the Steelers' 2020 first-round (Austin Jackson), 2020 fifth-round, and two sixth-round draft picks in return.

Fitzpatrick made an immediate impact on the Steelers defense upon being traded to Pittsburgh. In 14 games with the Steelers, he recorded five interceptions, 57 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and two defensive touchdowns. This earned him a Pro Bowl selection and a First-Team All-Pro honor.

In 2020, Fitzpatrick matched his success. For a second straight season, he made the Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro. He recorded four interceptions, 79 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one defensive touchdown.

Although he didn't make the Pro Bowl or All-Pro team this past season, Fitzpatrick still enjoyed a good campaign. He recorded a career-high 124 tackles, 44 more than his previous best, and recorded a pair of interceptions as well as a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

Last April, the Steelers picked up the fifth-year option on Fitzpatrick's contract, worth a guaranteed $10.612 million for the 2022 season. Pittsburgh could strike a deal before the season starts or they could wait and see if Fitzpatrick has another big year before paying him big.