The Miami Dolphins spent most of the offseason trying to trade Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith, and they eventually sent both players to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a late-round pick. While a lot of fans were sad to see Ramsey and Smith go, some celebrated the full circle moment of Fitzpatrick returning to Miami where his career started.
The Dolphins drafted Fitzpatrick with the 11th-overall pick in the 2018 Draft, and the safety immediately became an impact player in the NFL. However, he was traded to Pittsburgh early in his second season, and that’s when he really became a star. Fitzpatrick made five Pro Bowls with the Steelers, and was First-Team All-Pro three times. But, entering year eight of his career, Pittsburgh decided to trade him for Ramsey and Smith.
While Fitzpatrick is back where it all started for him in the NFL, there are concerns that this won’t be a fairytale ending for him and the Dolphins. Bleacher Report recently released a piece predicting every teams biggest bust in 2025, and writer Kristopher Knox settled on Fitzpatrick as the answer for Miami.
Minkah Fitzpatrick predicted to be Dolphins’ biggest bust in 2025
Knox took into account Fitzpatrick‘s level of play at this point in his career, but also the fact that Miami essentially exchanged Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith for him— though Smith was replaced by Darren Waller a day later. With all of that in mind, the Bleacher Report writer argued the veteran safety would let fans downs.
"Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is highly unlikely to flat-out bust for the Miami Dolphins in 2025. The five-time Pro Bowler is a quality starter who was on the field for the Pittsburgh Steelers in all 17 games last season.Kristopher Knox (Bleacher Report)
However, Fitzpatrick also came to Miami as part of a trade that sent cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh. He'll need to play extremely well to bring a sense of balance to the exchange, and the 28-year-old simply hasn't been as impactful in recent years."
Fitzpatrick hasn’t made an All-Pro team since 2022, but he has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last three seasons. However, there is a belief that he’s on the decline, and if that’s the case, that would make the trade really bad for the Dolphins.
Ultimately, Fitzpatrick will have the final say with his play on the field. At just 28 years old, he’s capable of delivering one of the best seasons of his career. If that happens, and he helps Miami return to contender status, the decision to bring him back will ultimately be a great one.