Minkah Fitzpatrick won’t be getting an extension any time soon. Since the Steelers recently picked up the cornerback’s fifth-year option, the team “won’t extend” the player’s contract, per Ed Bouchette of The Athletic.
The fifth-year option locks in Fitzpatrick through the 2022 season, so there’s no urgency on the front office’s part to lock the player in to a long-term pact. After Fitzpatrick plays out the fourth year of his rookie pact in 2021, the defensive back will earn a fully guaranteed $10.612M in 2022. Of course, this number could end up being irrelevant if Fitzpatrick and the organization agree to an extension next offseason.
Considering the haul Pittsburgh traded to Miami for Fitzpatrick (first-, fifth-, and sixth-round picks), the front office would surely want him in uniform for the foreseeable future. \
Fitzpatrick has looked the part of a top cornerback during his stint in Pittsburgh. The 24-year-old earned his second-straight All-Pro nod in 2021 after tallying four interceptions, 79 total stops and eleven passes defensed in 16 games. He also took one of those interceptions back for a pick six, giving him four career defensive TDs.
Fitzpatrick isn’t the only Steelers cornerback who’s up for an extension. We learned recently that Joe Haden was pushing for a new deal.
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