Minkah Fitzpatrick is heading into the 2026 NFL season with a new team again, and this time the veteran safety is laying out exactly why his first run with the Miami Dolphins never felt right.
On the latest episode of The Pivot Podcast, Fitzpatrick said the Dolphins’ direction was a major factor in his trade request early in his career. Miami drafted him No. 11 overall in 2018, but he lasted just 18 games before the team sent him to the Pittsburgh Steelers early in the 2019 season.
“The reason why the first time, I [saw] what they were doing with the season and that’s why I wanted out,” Fitzpatrick said while laughing. “I knew what was going on. That’s why I left that first time.”
After the move to Pittsburgh, Fitzpatrick became a centerpiece of the Steelers’ defense and emerged as one of the NFL’s premier safeties. Still, the 29-year-old said he has regrets about the way he handled things once he got there.
“I [saw] what they were doing with the season and that’s why I wanted out,” Minkah Fitzpatrick says of first Dolphins stint and trade. Minkah says it was about this, not how he was being used. pic.twitter.com/y6V62mpqQx
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) August 12, 2026
“In Pittsburgh I definitely regret the way I handled the situation,” Fitzpatrick said. “When I first got there they just plugged me in at post safety, half safety.
And I played well there. After awhile quarterbacks aren't going to be throwing you the ball a whole lot and I kind of got pushed into that role.”
He said that narrow usage kept him from showing the full range that made him such a highly regarded defensive back in the first place.
“People forgot that what I was known for was my versatility and doing different things,” Fitzpatrick said. “I'm a good football player so no matter where you put me on the field I'm going to be a good football player. But I think where my capabilities are maximized is when I could do different things.”
Fitzpatrick eventually found his way back to Miami before another major change this offseason. The Dolphins dealt him to the Jets as part of their sweeping roster overhaul ahead of 2026.
His exit comes during a broader reset in Miami under a new regime, with the organization making a string of major personnel moves as it tries to reshape the roster. For Fitzpatrick, though, it means another fresh start in the AFC East - and a clearer explanation of why his first Dolphins stint ended so quickly.
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