After signing a long extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, Minkah Fitzpatrick will miss the start of training camp after hurting himself on vacation in an unusual way.
Head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters that the Pro Bowl safety has been placed on the non-football injury list, hurting his wrist after falling off his bike. Tomlin added that the injury doesn’t seem serious and Fitzpatrick is expected to return soon.
Fitzpatrick, 25, is coming off a new contract he signed with the Steelers worth $73.6 million and $36 million guaranteed with an $18.4 million annual salary. That dollar amount makes Fitzpatrick the highest-paid safety in the NFL.
In a year of uncertainty at the quarterback position, the Steelers will need Fitzpatrick to live up to every bit of that contract. If history is any indicator, Fitzpatrick will have no problem living up to the task, earning All-Pro honors in each of his first two seasons in Pittsburgh and has been making play after play on the field.
He will have a big role alongside reigning Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt this season and will include several new pieces, including former Jaguars linebacker Myles Jack and former Bills cornerback Levi Wallace.
About Jasper Jones
A native east coaster via Connecticut, Jasper is a writer for The Comeback and Audacy Sports. He decided to head south for college, attending the University of Kentucky and graduating with a degree in broadcast journalism. Prior to joining The Comeback, Jones spent a year writing for FanSided's college football blog, Saturday Blitz, covering news surrounding the sport and recruiting. He spent the same amount of time doing some freelance work for the tabloid/sports outlet BlackSportsOnline. In his free time, Jones loves to cheer on his Kentucky Wildcats, collect sneakers, read a good book, and get in some gains at the gym. You can follow him on Twitter @jonesj2342.