Mark Madden: Minkah Fitzpatrick not giving Steelers enough bang for the buck

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in their current mess for a number of reasons.

But two stand out.

Selecting Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 draft was badly damaging. Pickett very quickly revealed himself to not be of starting caliber. The Steelers have patchworked at quarterback since Pickett imploded and don’t currently have their long-term starter. Pickett’s failure set them back years.

Trading 2020’s first-round pick for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick did the same.

When Ben Roethlisberger popped his elbow in the second game of the 2019 season, the Steelers should have tanked. They weren’t going anywhere significant with Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges at quarterback. Zero chance.

Instead of winning 4-5 games and maybe drafting quarterback Justin Herbert, the Steelers acquired Fitzpatrick from Miami.

Fitzpatrick certainly played well. In 14 games with the Steelers in 2019, Fitzpatrick was involved in eight takeaways. He made first-team All-Pro.

The Steelers were 8-5 but lost their last three to finish 8-8 and miss the playoffs. (One of their typical late-season collapses.)

It was the first time I thought that coach Mike Tomlin’s streak of no losing seasons meant more than it should.

Until then, the streak seemed organic, almost coincidental.

But it seemed like the Steelers traded for Fitzpatrick specifically to maintain it. Because they weren’t going to win playoff games with that quarterbacking. They had to know that.

Fitzpatrick made first-team All-Pro again in ’20 and ’22.

But the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game with Fitzpatrick.

Safeties don’t matter that much. The big impact isn’t there, not unless you’re Troy Polamalu. Which Fitzpatrick isn’t.

Right now, Fitzpatrick isn’t even DeShon Elliott.

Elliott is the Steelers’ “other” safety. He carries a salary cap hit of $2.25 million. Fitzpatrick’s cap hit is $21.35 million.

But Elliott has outperformed Fitzpatrick this season.

Elliott has six turnover involvements, Fitzpatrick two.

Elliott plays closer to the line and is a dynamic, hard-hitting presence. Fitzpatrick mostly stands around.

We’re told by the usual suspects that Fitzpatrick’s role at high safety is significant, that his presence in center field frees up others to make plays, including Elliott. That Fitzpatrick is a valuable safety valve.

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That seems excuse-making on behalf of Fitzpatrick.

For $21.35 million, Fitzpatrick should be more than a safety valve. He should be first-team All-Pro, which seems unlikely. He ought to be a bigger presence.

If Fitzpatrick is being deployed improperly, that’s on the coaches.

Fitzpatrick doesn’t get nearly the criticism he should for being mostly invisible.

Fitzpatrick explained his lack of splash plays thusly: “I can’t tell QBs to throw at me. I can’t abandon my zone. I keep a lid on it, make sure nothing goes over the top or turns 10 yards into 50.”

The Steelers gave up 47 plays of 20 yards or more, tied for ninth-fewest in the NFL. That speaks well of Fitzpatrick’s role.

But it’s about bang for the buck.

Fitzpatrick gets a lot of bucks. But his bang has disappeared.

The Steelers would be better off with Herbert, or whoever they might have drafted in 2020.

It’s about how acquisitions impact winning. Fitzpatrick hasn’t done that enough. Safeties usually don’t. That was a bad trade.