Steelers 2-a-days: Matt Feiler, Minkah Fitzpatrick provide options at respective positions
Editor’s note: Leading up to a unique Pittsburgh Steelers training camp staged at Heinz Field this year, the Tribune-Review will be running through the team’s 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2020 season. The breakdown will go through the roster, in mostly alphabetical order, two per day, between June 9 and July 23, a day that originally was planned to be reporting day for players to camp. (Contract data courtesy of spotrac.com)
RT MATT FEILER
Experience: 4th season
Contract status: $3.259 million salary cap hit for 2020, will be an unrestricted free agent in 2021
2020 outlook: Feiler will be starting on the offensive line this year. It’s just a matter of where. Although he started all but one game at right tackle last season, Feiler will get first snaps at left guard, coach Mike Tomlin confirmed this week. Feiler entered the NFL as a guard, and he started in that spot against the Los Angeles Rams last season. He could move back to right tackle if Chuks Okorafor and Zach Banner aren’t ready to win the job.
Bottom line: Feiler is getting his first taste of a seven-figure contract, and with a strong season, he could cash in as an unrestricted free agent in March. Feiler’s versatility makes him a valued member of the offense line, and teammates love his workmanlike approach to the job.
FS MINKAH FITZPATRICK
Experience: 3rd season
Contract status: $1,975,252 cap hit for 2020, he is signed through 2021, and next spring the Steelers can pick up an option for 2022
2020 outlook: Fitzpatrick set the bar high after joining the team in September when he had five interceptions, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two touchdowns — one fewer than JuJu Smith-Schuster. The Steelers will be satisfied if he duplicates his 2019 production.
Bottom line: Fitzpatrick was the missing piece to the Steelers defense last year and became an All-Pro. With a full offseason to learn the nuances of the system, he could be even more valuable in the secondary. The Steelers may consider moving Fitzpatrick around to keep opponents guessing.
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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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