NFL free agency: Predicting where top 25 projected players land in 2022

2022 NFL free agency: Minkah Fitzpatrick to Pittsburgh Steelers

*Updated Oct 1st – Fitzpatrick will be rocking the white and yellow a little while longer after the franchise picked up his 5th year option*

The Steelers are one of many teams facing salary cap hell this offseason. Meaning, there’s a good chance one of the league’s elite defenses will look much different heading into 2021.

So it’s a good thing first-team All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is at least under contract on the cheap for this upcoming season, but that certainly won’t be the case once 2022 rolls around. While a fifth-year option is still in play, the Steelers surely want to make Fitzpatrick the face of their defense for the long run.

Much of their ability to do so hinges on what happens with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger this offseason. If he retires or is made a cap casualty, there will be plenty of money from Pittsburgh’s perspective. Perhaps that’s the smarter route to go.

But if Roethlisberger, also a 2022 free agent, winds up being retained even if it’s on a relatively cheaper deal, keeping Fitzpatrick around becomes much tougher.

Expect Pittsburgh to focus more on youth than Big Ben here.