Fitzpatrick ‘positively’ desires long-term stick with Dolphins

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said he would like to remain with the team long-term after agreeing to a revised contract this past weekend.

Speaking to local media for the first time since his June 30 trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Fitzpatrick insisted that his prolonged silence was not “an expression of frustration” regarding his return to the Dolphins, who drafted him in 2018.

While he did not take questions about the trade itself or his time with the Steelers, he thanked the organization for his six seasons with the team.

“The city of Pittsburgh treated me very well. I enjoyed my time there, my teammates,” he said. “It was very unfortunate the way things ended — it’s a part of business and I’m extremely excited to be a Miami Dolphin … I’ve been here in the building for about a week now and I’m extremely excited about this season. I think we have a very, very high ceiling.”

Fitzpatrick recently hired agent Drew Rosenhaus, who negotiated a revised contract with the Dolphins that moved $2 million from his 2026 salary to this year’s salary, and created a $16.245 million signing bonus. The move gave Fitzpatrick a raise from his original $15.5 million salary and saved Miami roughly $11 million in salary cap space this season.

More importantly, the move was a show of good faith from the Dolphins to Fitzpatrick of their willingness to negotiate an extension in the future.

Fitzpatrick said he “definitely” wants to be in Miami long-term, having come away impressed during his short time with this year’s team.

“I really like the energy and direction that this is going. The culture of this locker room is one that wants to win now,” he said. “I know that was reported that I wanted a new contract, but I just wanted to know I was going to be here for more than a season.”

The Dolphins drafted Fitzpatrick in 2018 with the 11th overall pick but traded him to the Steelers a year later due to a dispute with then-coach Brian Flores over his position and role on the team. He was named to five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams during his time in Pittsburgh.

He joins a Dolphins secondary that replaces four of its five starters from a season ago and has made an impression early on. He recorded the team’s first interception of training camp during Saturday’s practice — an athletic leaping pick off of quarterback Zach Wilson that left teammates amazed.

“Oh my goodness. Did you see that pick? He’s a beast,” cornerback Jack Jones said. “I mean he’s been a big-time name since he got in the league and was a big-time name when he was at Alabama. He’s a star man, he’s going to show that on the field.”

Miami will look to Fitzpatrick to be a leader in a secondary that will replace four of its five starters from a season ago. His participation through contract negotiations was seen as a positive for Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, saying “that’s how football teams win.”

Fitzpatrick said the message he received from McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier was the same one they’ve sent to the rest of a Dolphins team looking to return to the playoffs after falling short in 2024.

“I think there’s a standard that Mike and Grier are trying to set — just working hard, being disciplined, being committed to this team, stripping yourself of ego, you know what I’m saying?” Fitzpatrick said. “This is an ego-driven sport and I think the best teams are the teams that move the ego, let down the mask and the pride and play winning team football.

“That’s the message that they sent to the team is the same message that they sent to me.”