Although the legal tampering window begins today, it seems like teams are not done with trades. Only hours before free agent signings begin to get announced, the New York Jets have traded for Miami Dolphins’ safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
New York Jets Make a Big-Time Trade To Upgrade the Defense
The Jets had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season, and with head coach Aaron Glenn needing to turn things around quickly, making impactful moves this offseason is essential. Last season, the Jets became the first team in NFL history to not get a single interception.
With Glenn being a defensive-minded coach, this record can never happen, and the defense needs to improve. Well, the Jets just took a step forward by trading for Fitzpatrick, who was a very talented safety on the Dolphins.
Trade: The Miami Dolphins are sending Minkah Fitzpatrick to the New York Jets in exchange for the 2026 seventh-round pick from the Chargers, per ESPN sources.
The Jets will sign Fitzpatrick to a three-year, $40 million deal, per his agent Drew Rosenhaus. pic.twitter.com/zaycxryzMk
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2026
New York only had to send a 7th-round pick to get this trade done, and they clearly value him as a long-term option, signing him to a three-year extension. Fitzpatrick was entering the last year of his 4-year, $73.6M contract, but with this three-year, $40M extension, he will not be under contract through 2029.
Looking at what the Jets are getting in Fitzpatrick, he is 29 years old and not the same player he was when making All-Pro or Pro Bowl teams, but he can still play. Last season, the Dolphins were overall a mess, and Fitzpatrick dealt with injuries, so it made sense that he had his second-worst season rank (48th) in PFSN’s SAF Impact Metric.
The hope for the Jets is that Fitzpatrick can be a leader on defense and play closer to his 2024 season, when he ranked 31st overall. Also, Fitpatrick could go into the slot for Glenn’s defense.
For the Dolphins, getting little to nothing for Fitzpatrick is not great, especially after acquiring him as part of the Jalen Ramsey trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers just last offseason, but this team is in a rebuild anyway. Getting any draft capital, even if it’s a 7th-round pick, can go a long way for Miami. Now, they must work to fill Fitzpatrick’s role on defense.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
