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Minkah Fitzpatrick is a rich man, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are the NFL franchise that made him that way. Fans of the league are not on the consensus that the Steelers overpaid, but some of the most-liked tweets about the deal do seem to indicate as much.
The extension is for four years and is worth more than $73.6 million, NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday. The deal includes a $36 million guaranteed upfront bonus, according to Rapoport.
NFL fans were quick to air their opinions. This Ohio man threw some Browns flavor on his take:
This fan cut deep with the "mid" label:
Some worried about Fitzpatrick's 2021 season being a mark of decline:
Others opined that he might not be the best safety in the league and thus not worthy of the position's highest payday:
Chargers fans saw this as a good sign for their team's safety Derwin James:
One fan noted a trend of the price of safeties skyrocketing:
This fan (we believe unironically) thought this was a good deal, though...
Minkah Fitzpatrick should be a full training camp participant with an extension
Minkah Fitzpatrick was partially holding out on the Steelers before being granted this extension. He was an attendee at minicamp but did not participate in team drills.
Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin's lack of concern last week likely tipped Pittsburgh's cap when it came to this decision.
“I have zero concerns about Minkah Fitzpatrick. He’s a unicorn. He is always in great shape. He loves football. He’s got all the stuff he wants. So I have zero worries about it, and that stuff will take care of itself.”
The Steelers front office had designs to keep their defense stingy as they moved past the Ben Roethlisberger era by re-signing Fitzpatrick, Cam Heyward, and T.J. Watt through the next three seasons.
There are legitimate questions as to whether or not the black and yellow can remain competitive in the increasingly competitive AFC North with Mitch Trubisky and rookie Kenny Pickett vying for the QB1 role.
While one (or ideally, over time, both) could pan out in Pittsburgh, the defense will need to step up throughout the adjustment process early in the season.
