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Steelers 2-a-days: Mataeo Durant seeks job at RB, Minkah Fitzpatrick gets long-term security | TribLIVE.com
Steelers/NFL

Steelers 2-a-days: Mataeo Durant seeks job at RB, Minkah Fitzpatrick gets long-term security

Joe Rutter
Joe Rutter
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Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
Steelers RB Mataeo Durant and S Minkah Fitzpatrick

Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, the Trib will be running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2022 season. The breakdown will go through the roster in mostly alphabetical order, two per day, between June 11 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

RB MATAEO DURANT

Experience: Rookie

Contract status: $705,000 cap hit in 2022, signed through 2024

2022 outlook: Durant was one of two running backs added as undrafted free agents. He will try to win a roster spot backing up workhorse starter Najee Harris.

The Steelers would like to lighten Harris’ load after he carried 307 times and was on the field for 84% of all offensive snaps. The rest of the running backs on the roster totaled 52 carries, with Benny Snell getting a high of 36.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound runner would like to put his name in the conversation. At Duke, Durant missed just four games in four seasons. He made 12 starts and played in 44 games. He finished with 2,582 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns while also catching 55 passes for 488 yards and four touchdowns.

In his final season, Durant set a school single-season record with 1,241 yards and he led the team with nine touchdowns, earning first-team all-ACC honors. His versatility could put Anthony McFarland’s roster spot in jeopardy. The Steelers also have a vacancy after not bringing back veteran Kalen Ballage after the 2021 season.

FS MINKAH FITZPATRICK

Experience: 5th season

Contract status: $8,124,235 cap hit in 2022, signed through 2026

2022 outlook: The Steelers took care of their top financial priority before the start of training camp when they signed Fitzpatrick to a five-year deal that lowered his cap hit by almost $2.5 million for this season.

Now the highest-paid safety in the NFL, Fitzpatrick will be expected to build on his success from his first three seasons with the Steelers. He was named to the first-team All-Pro list in the 2019-20 seasons and was the team’s leading tackler in each of the past two seasons.

Fitzpatrick didn’t shy away from contact last year as evidenced by his 124 tackles, the most by a Steelers defensive back since 1987. That was attributed to the Steelers allowing the most rushing yards in the NFL last year and running backs breaking through the first two levels of the defense.

If the Steelers can plug that leak, Fitzpatrick can go back to being a ball-hawking free safety and create the abundance of turnovers that were his speciality the previous two seasons when Fitzpatrick had nine interceptions — two were returned for touchdowns — to go with three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.

Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.

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Categories: Sports | Steelers/NFL
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