If the Steelers need a safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick is a very familiar name that could potentially be available very soon. Having once traded for him, they traded him last offseason, so they can’t trade back for him right now. But with the Dolphins shedding contracts while in rebuilding mode, the former All-Pro could be on the move. And beat writer Ray Fittipaldo believes the Steelers should pursue it—for the right price.
“I’ve heard the Minkah stuff”, he said on 93.7 The Fan, referring to recent chatter about his potential release and a theoretical reunion with the Steelers. “If Minkah would want to come back on the cheap, fine. But you can’t pay Jalen Ramsey his salary and pay Minkah the salary he was making. Maybe Minkah would be happy coming back here and playing for $10-12 million, if that would be the case. You could do a lot worse, right? He’s still in his 20s. I think that’s something I would look at if he did want to come back”.
Drafted 11th overall by the Dolphins in 2018, Minkah Fitzpatrick was traded to the Steelers two games into the 2019 season in exchange for a first-round pick. He made an immediate impact, with 5 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 touchdowns on the way to first-team All-Pro honors.
In six seasons with the Steelers, Fitzpatrick made four Pro Bowls and three All-Pro lists. After leading the NFL in interceptions in 2022, he finished in the top 10 in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Yet he struggled the following season, injuries playing a significant role in that, missing seven games.
As part of the trade to acquire Jalen Ramsey, the Steelers traded Minkah Fitzpatrick back to the Dolphins late last June. With his old team, he recorded 82 tackles in 14 games with 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries. He also scored on a defensive two-point conversion return, his first points since 2022. While he was a leader on that defense, Miami is now undergoing yet another overhaul.
The Dolphins have reportedly put Fitzpatrick on the trade block, but, again, the Steelers can’t trade for him. The same team that traded a player cannot trade for him back within two seasons. It’s fair to question what his market would be, however, at this point in his career.
As Fittipaldo pointed out, Minkah Fitzpatrick isn’t exactly old. He turned 29 in November, despite playing eight seasons already. But he only has three interceptions over the past three years and hasn’t been the impact player he once was.
Fitzpatrick is due to make $15,600,000 this year, and the Steelers probably wouldn’t want to take that on. I don’t know that any team would, however. So if the Dolphins can’t find a trading partner, they could consider releasing him. And if Fitzpatrick is on the open market, would the Steelers explore reuniting with him? He would be better than Kyle Dugger, at least, but what is the right price?