Could the Carolina Panthers make a big trade with the Miami Dolphins this offseason?
The Miami Dolphins have had Minkah Fitzpatrick trade talks with several teams, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Could the Carolina Panthers be one of the teams? Anthony Palacios of Last Word on NFL thinks so.
"The Panthers have built one of the more promising defenses over the last offseason," Palacios wrote. "The team acquired defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton and safety Tre'Von Moehrig, which led the team to appear in the postseason since the Cam Newton era. While the offense can take the credit too, this defense is becoming way too talented.
"If the Panthers are looking for another veteran talent, they could look into adding Fitzpatrick to elevate the secondary alongside Moehrig, Jaycee Horn and Michael Jackson."
Fitzpatrick is entering the final year of his contract. He had 59 solo tackles, four tackles for loss, two QB hits and one INT for the Dolphins in 2025.
A five-time Pro Bowler, Fitzpatrick has played for the Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He has 21 career interceptions.
The Dolphins are rebuilding, so Fitzpatrick is better suited to play for a winning franchise at this stage of his career. The talented safety turns 30 in November.
Carolina was 15th in the NFL this season in points per game allowed. Jaycee Horn, the team's defensive leader, made his second consecutive Pro Bowl. He finished with five interceptions and eight passes defended for the Panthers, who won the NFC South and made the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 campaign.
The Panthers lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round of the 2026 NFL playoffs. Pairing Fitzpatrick with Horn could be the missing piece Carolina needs to become an elite defense.
It will be intriguing to see if Carolina pursues a trade for Fitzpatrick this offseason. All signs point toward the Dolphins trading the veteran.
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