New York Jets acquire Minkah Fitzpatrick in trade deal with Dolphins

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fitzpatrick-minkah/0OVFy4LD/"]Fitzpatrick[/a], 31, will be signing a three-year, $40 million contract extension as part of the sign-and-trade deal. The New Jersey native is a three-time All-Pro safety as he'll be entering his ninth year in the league. He put up 82 tackles, six pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one interception, finishing the 2025 season with the ninth-best coverage grade (78.3) out of 98 qualified safeties. [/p][p]The team also recently announced the release of starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/dolphins-releasing-qb-tua-tagovailoa-with-an-nfl-record-dead-cap-hit/U5weAJZa/"]details here[/a]).[/p][embed guid="4b8b4436-5e9a-48ac-a567-b682797df097" url="https://x.com/NFL/status/2031001518816510017?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The vet allowed just 9.4 yards per reception - the first time in his career he finished a season below 10.0. However, he's coming off back-to-back seasons in which he gave up career-highs in opponent passer ratings when targeted (2024 - 132.1, 2025 - 103.6). [/p][p]Before the past two years, he never finished a season with an opponent passer rating above 100. [/p][p]Fitzpatrick was first drafted by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/miami-dolphins/WQivmqEf/"]Miami[/a] with the 11th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft before the team traded him to the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/pittsburgh-steelers/AXWJxS6R/"]Pittsburgh Steelers[/a] a year later two games into the 2019 season, a team he spent the next five seasons with before going back to Miami this past season.[/p][p]Now, he's going to a Jets team that finished 2025 with a 3-14 record. [/p]