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Steelers could be on the brink of a rebuild if they are truly considering moving off Pro Bowl defender this offseason

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Rob Gregson | Last updated Feb 17, 2025 9:49 AM ET

For all the changes that have occurred and are still going on in the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary, one man has been the stabilizing force.

That would be All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Yet following what one analyst is calling "the worst season of his career," some are pondering if Fitzpatrick's time in Pittsburgh is over...

Would Steelers Consider Cutting-Trading Minkah 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. It’d be both unlikely and difficult for the Steelers to move on from Fitzpatrick, but it’s probably a conversation they’re having.

Derrik Klassen, The Athletic

It's easy to look at the box score and see nearly career lows in interceptions, pass defenses, and less than 100 tackles despite Fitzpatrick's 17 starts and say he had the worst year of his career.

In reality, however, he was named a Pro Bowler for the fifth time in his career, and for the second year in a row, he wore far too many hats for the Steelers.

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As Klassen wrote, Fitzpatrick has always done his best work as a post-player. Meaning in single high coverages, he stays in the middle of the field. But not only did the Steelers play more two safety looks to help out their corners in 2024, they also deployed Minkah in man coverage roles, as well as inserted him into the box more to help in the run game.

Hence the Mark Andrews catches against him and Derrick Henry's stiff arms.

So after just turning 28 years old and being asked to do a lot of dirty work for the Steelers, moving on from Minkah, who is beloved by his teammates and the coaching staff would signal a rebuild in Pittsburgh. But it's not just the P.R. hit the team would take that has me struggling to believe any such conversation would exist, it's also the financial ramifications...

Cutting or trading Fitzpatrick prior to June 1st would result in a dead money cap charge of $13.7 million. The likelihood of finding a team that is willing to take on base salaries of $15.5m and $17.6m in 2025 and 2026 respectively, without having to eat some of that on their own, all the while receiving fair compensation is slim to none for Pittsburgh.

So for better or worse, (really better) the best player in the Steelers' secondary is likely to stick around a while longer.