The Miami Dolphins might be having one of the biggest fire sales in NFL history. They're ruthlessly cutting veterans left and right, and are reportedly shopping one of their best defensive players, Minkah Fitzpatrick.
As reported by Fox Sports insider Jordan Schultz, Fitzpatrick is indeed on the trade block. Dealing him away before June 1 would incur almost $13 million in dead money, but would save the Dolphins just under $6 million in 2026 cap space, and $9 million in 2027.
Anyone interested in Fitzpatrick needs to have the cap space to take him on, a need in the secondary, and at least some appeal as a destination. I doubt new Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan will ship Fitzpatrick off to NFL Siberia if he can help it.
Three teams come to mind right away as prime fits for Fitzpatrick.
3 teams who should be going after Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick
Commanders can capitalize on Jayden Daniels' rookie contract window with Minkah Fitzpatrick trade
What a disaster the 2025 Washington Commanders were. More so than the Dolphins, if you can believe it. Nevertheless, just one season removed from an NFC title game run, the Commanders stuck with Dan Quinn as their head coach.
Jayden Daniels' injuries are much to blame for Washington's regression, but the defense also got old and bad fast. Armed with $74.5 million in cap room, the Commanders can shell out plenty of money to take on Fitzpatrick's deal, which would cost $15.6 million this year, per OverTheCap.com.
Assuming Daniels can stay healthy and Washington finds reinforcements via the draft and free agency, expectations should be high for the team.
Whether he lines up at deep safety, in the box, or in the slot, Fitzpatrick would be a big boost to the Commanders' reigning 32nd-ranked defense.
Minkah Fitzpatrick would end Bengals' lengthy quest for safety help
As the NFL division's resident expert on all things Bengals, suffice it to say, it's been a tough go since Jessie Bates skipped town in 2023. Cincinnati can't seem to get the safety position right, or has at least one major liability as a starter every single year. Free agency could change that, but history says probably not.
Fitzpatrick used to be the enemy when he played for the Steelers. You bet Who Dey Nation would welcome the former AFC North rival with open arms if the Bengals front office actually got bold to land a premier defensive talent.
Cincinnati is actually pretty set at cornerback with DJ Turner and Dax Hill on the outside. Jordan Battle is a passable starter at safety. Rather than trying to outbid teams for a free-agent safety, the Bengals could ensure they get a quality player in Fitzpatrick for, say, a fourth-round pick and change?
Whomever the geniuses who run the Bengals would draft with this year's 110th overall pick, I can almost guarantee he wouldn't have anywhere near the impact Fitzpatrick could have. It's all or nothing. Joe Burrow isn't going to stick around in Cincinnati much longer if the Bengals don't start winning a lot of games.
Fitzpatrick is an ideal locker room leader and tone-setter for a Cincinnati defense that desperately needs one of each on the back end. Call him a two-for-one deal in that regard!
Raiders could kick off new era with splashy Minkah Fitzpatrick addition to shore up defense
Having the second-most cap space and the first-most prestigious draft capital in the league should sell Fitzpatrick on a trade to Las Vegas. New head coach Klint Kubiak is fresh off a Super Bowl win as Seattle's offensive coordinator, and will have a No. 1 overall pick in Fernando Mendoza to work with.
Not only would the Raiders pony up for a Fitzpatrick contract extension once he's a free agent in 2027, but in pulling off this trade, they could show how serious they are about winning. It'd be a big gesture to convince Maxx Crosby to stick around amid persistent trade speculation.
It's no secret that Las Vegas needs help at the second and third levels of its defense to better complement the havoc Crosby wreaks up front on his own. Having Jeremy Chinn and Fitzpatrick as interchangeable box safety/slot players sure would go a long way toward achieving that.
Las Vegas might be a tougher sell for Fitzpatrick than the other two teams due to the uncertainty at QB. However, he'd enjoy no state income tax for home games in Nevada, and could be part of a sharply ascending team assuming Mendoza is The Guy on his rookie contract.