EXCLUSIVE Interview with Minkah Fitzpatrick after signing a new five-year deal | Pittsburgh Steelers

Minkah Fitzpatrick talks about signing a new five-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who he is as a player, the team's defense, and more.

On Wednesday, the Steelers signed two-time All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to a new five-year contract. The financial terms of the deal were not released by the team.

Fitzpatrick has been a mainstay for the Steelers defense since he was acquired via a trade with the Miami Dolphins following Week 2 of the 2019 NFL season. During his time with the Steelers, he has twice been selected Associated Press First-Team All-Pro (2019, 2020) and was voted to the Pro Bowl in both of those seasons.

He has started all 46 games he has played in for the Steelers, missing just one game in 2021. For his career he has started 59 of the 64 games he played in.

Fitzpatrick has amassed 350 tackles, 237 of them solo stops, 36 passes defensed, 13 interceptions, including three returned for a touchdown, eight sacks, five tackles for a loss, five fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles in his first four seasons in the NFL.

In 2021 Fitzpatrick had his first 100 tackle season when he recorded 124 tackles to lead the Steelers, 84 of them solo stops, along with two interceptions, nine passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

His career-high 124 tackles led all defensive backs in the NFL last season and were tied for the fifth-most by a defensive back in a single season since 2016 and most by a Steelers defensive back since 1987.

In 2020 Fitzpatrick led the Steelers in tackles with 79, and added 11 passes defensed, four interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown against Cleveland in Week 6, one tackle for a loss, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He finished the season tied for seventh in the NFL in interceptions. He was rewarded for his efforts with his selection to the AP All-Pro team and the Pro Bowl.

During the 2019 season, which included 14 games in Pittsburgh and two in Miami, Fitzpatrick had five interceptions, all with the Steelers, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, while coming in and making a huge impact on the defense. Fitzpatrick recorded defensive touchdowns in back-to-back games. He had a 96-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Colts and the following week picked up a fumble against the Rams and took it in for a 43-yard score.

Fitzpatrick was selected by the Dolphins in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, the 11th overall selection. In his rookie season he played in 16 games, starting 11. He had 79 tackles, 50 of them solo stops, two interceptions, and nine passes defensed. Fitzpatrick picked off Kirk Cousins against Minnesota and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown. In his time in Miami, Fitzpatrick had 90 tackles, two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.

A three-year starter at Alabama, he played in 42 games, starting 38. He had 171 tackles, including 109 solo stops, four and a half sacks, nine interceptions, 35 pass defenses and two forced fumbles. He won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back his final season and became the third player in NCAA history to win both the Chuck Bednarik and Jim Thorpe Awards, joining Charles Woodson and Patrick Peterson with that honor. He was also a unanimous first-team All-American in 2017.

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