Amidst a fire sale of an offseason, the Miami Dolphins have made another massive move. After releasing Tua Tagovailoa, according to Adam Schefter, the Miami Dolphins have traded safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the New York Jets.
The Jets will sign Fitzpatrick to a three-year, $40 million deal, per his agent Drew Rosenhaus.
This move comes after rumors that Fitzpatrick would be traded as the Dolphins look to rebuild in the Jeff Hafley era. With his exit, the Dolphins are sending a clear statement of intent that Hafely will be building this team in his image.
Fitzpatrick is set to sign a three year, 40 million dollar deal and in turn, the Dolphins will received a 2026 seventh round draft pick originally owned by the Chargers.
A Familiar Yet Unusual Career Path
This continues Fitzpatrick’s circuitous route throughout the NFL after being selected by the Dolphins in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He only spent one season in Miami under his rookie deal before being immediately sent to the Steelers, where he started to make a name for himself as one of the NFL’s premier safeties. He became a three time All Pro and was named to the Pro Bowl five times in Pittsburgh.
Still, he somehow found his way home to Miami after he was involved in a trade with another premier secondary player in Jalen Ramsey. One important thing to note about Fittzpatrick is that he became the highest paid safety in the NFL in 2022, setting the market with the Steelers at almost 18.5 million dollars annually.
During the 2025 season, Fitzpatrick played in 14 games, where he totaled 82 tackles, one interception, one sack, one forced fumble, and six pass breakups.
For the Jets, this becomes a massive upgrade within a secondary that struggled to generate takeaways all of last season. Most importantly, it gives them a leader to build around after the departure of Sauce Gardner in a midseason trade with the Colts.
What the Move Means for Miami’s Rebuild
The Dolphins however, are now in a position to get younger at the position, whether it be through the draft or through free agency themselves. It will not be easy as earlier this morning, they released Tua, taking on a massive cap hit. However, it puts their offseason under a microscope.
The move only ended up saving the Dolphins 5.9 million dollars in cap space as well, leaving much to be desired for a player that could have commanded much more money due to his career.
Fitzpatrick may not be the only free agent to move on from the team. Corners such as Jack Jones, Kader Kohou, and Rasul Douglas could depart the team as well. That could leave the Dolphins with a bunch of second year players on the back end of their defense combined with impending free agents who may not even be worth long term deals.
That is why the draft could be the best option for the Dolphins to boost their secondary. A player like LSU’s Mansoor Delane could be available at the 11th overall pick, where they will be selecting.
For both teams, this move could be an indication about their respective futures and the directions they wish to take.
Dolphins Trade Minkah Fitzpatrick to Division Rival