Omar Khan on the Steelers signing Minkah Fitzpatrick to a new 5-year contract

The Pittsburgh Steelers had priorities this offseason, and one of those priorities was to get Minkah Fitzpatrick under contract for the foreseeable future. While many expected this to timeline to be similar to that of T.J. Watt in 2021, the new Steelers General Manager (GM) Omar Khan made his first big signing as the GM by signing Fitzpatrick to a 4-year contract extension.

The 4-year contract extension will keep Fitzpatrick roaming the Steelers’ secondary for the next five seasons, and will have No. 39 being a foundational piece, more so than he already was, for a long time.

After the ink dried on the new contract, Khan had this to say about the contract given to Fitzpatrick well before training camp begins on July 26th.

“We are very excited to sign Minkah to a new five-year contract,” said GM Omar Khan. “Minkah is one of the top safeties in the NFL and we are thrilled he will be in Pittsburgh through at least the next five years. When we traded for him, we knew he was going to be an integral part of our defense and we look forward to that continuing as we prepare for the upcoming season.”

It has to be a good feeling for both Khan and Fitzpatrick, as the team now can move forward with their plans to potentially sign other players before the start of the 2022 regular season. As for Fitzpatrick, he is just excited to stay with the team who mortgaged a first round pick to obtain his services in 2019.

“I am very excited,” said Fitzpatrick. “I am still kind of in shock right now. It’s a blessing. I am really excited. It’s just the beginning. I am appreciative. I am thankful. Now I just want to keep on chopping.

“I love the history here. What it stands for. The standard we are held to. The standard Coach (Mike) Tomlin holds us to, on the field and off the field. The standard of winning playoff games, division titles and championship games.

“I really like it here. I have been playing well the last three seasons, at a high level. I love the atmosphere, the coaching, the tradition. Being able to continue that for the next few years is definitely a blessing.”

The Steelers, with Fitzpatrick locked up for the next five seasons, will turn their attention to potentially signing other players, if they so please. Two of those players vying for a new deal would be placekicker Chris Boswell and wide receiver Diontae Johnson. Will Khan make more moves before camp starts? Most would suggest he navigated these waters with relative ease. It is likely there is more to come in the coming weeks.

Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the start of training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA on July 26th.

To hear more about this new contract for Minkah Fitzpatrick, check out the Breaking News podcast in the player below: