The Pittsburgh Steelers got training camp underway on Tuesday but there was a notable absence among the veteran defenders. Star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is reportedly dealing with a wrist injury, prompting the Steelers to place him on the NFI list. Fitzpatrick will be placed on the non-football injury list, rather than the PUP, due to the fact that he sustained the injury while on vacation, per Judy Battista.
The Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin aren't anticipating Fitzpatrick to miss significant time or that the injury will have any long-term implications. However, Fitzpatrick is dealing with some discomfort, which will prevent him from starting training camp along with his teammates.
Hopefully, the Steelers will get the star safety back at camp within a matter of days, but Fitzpatrick will need to be cleared by team doctors before he makes his return to the practice field.
It's certainly not a good look that Fitzpatrick picked up an injury while on vacation, and he's fortunate that he won't require a long time on the shelf as a result of the wrist ailment. Tomlin himself didn't seem certain about the origin of the injury, though he said he thinks Fitzpatrick fell off a bike.
The Steelers are hosting their 2022 training camp at St. Vincent College. While rookies and some other players reportedly earlier, the veterans were expected to arrive this week, at least those who are cleared to practice.
Fitzpatrick just re-signed with the Steelers this offseason on a brand new four-year deal. He's one the highest-paid defenders in football, having signed on for a total of $73.6 million, including $36 million in guaranteed money. Fitzpatrick is due to make $4 million in base salary in 2022, and $14.5 million in 2023 and 2024. The final two years of his deal will see him collect $15.5 million and $17.6 million in base salary, respectively.