Dolphins trade Minkah Fitzpatrick to Jets for low draft pick

Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has been busy ahead of the start of the league year. After the expected release of Tua Tagovailoa being announced, the front office has made a trade.

All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is being shipped to the New York Jets for a seventh-round pick. 

What makes this trade a bit odd is that not only is it within divisional rivals, but the Dolphins' only being able to get a seventh-round selection does appear to be a bit low. However, the cap implications may be why the trade for a low round selection makes a bit more sense.

Per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald:

"Trade of Minkah to Jets for a 7th round pick (from the Chargers) drops Dolphins' cap commitment to Minkah from $18.8 M to $12.9 M, if Miami didn't pay any of salary. (UPDATE: MIAMI DIDN'T PAY ANY OF SALARY) Minkah signing new deal with Jets. So that will give Fins more than $10 M in cap space."

According to Jackson, the Dolphins not only shrink their cap commitment to $12.9 million, but it also gives the team more than $10 million in cap space with the trade.

Other teams may have wanted more of a financial commitment to trade for Fitzpatrick, which is not in the best interest of the organziation shredding contracts to be cap compliant.

Granted, the Tagovailoa release will be damaging for the next two seasons, but the rest of the moves that Sullivan has pulled off thus far have been to strengthen the cap for the future.

Fitzpatrick being traded was expected to happen, but maybe not for the draft pick the Dolphins received as compensation. Either way, the Miami front office continues to make moves.

Fitzpatrick rejoined the Dolphins in 2025 after a trade sent Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The All-Pro safety ended the season with one interception, seven passes defended, one forced fumble, one sack, and 82 total tackles.

If it had not been for a calf injury that sidelined him for the final three games of the season, Fitzpatrick may have been a Pro Bowl player in 2025.

Fitzpatrick has been a Pro Bowl player for the previous three seasons, including being named a First-team All-Pro in 2022.

With Aaron Glenn running the show in New York, the defensive-minded coach now gets a stalwart safety who can help bring some balance to the secondary.