Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is hiring a new agent shortly after his trade back to Miami, a potential indicator that he will be seeking a new contract from the Dolphins.
Fitzpatrick hired Drew Rosenhaus, according to the Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly, who represents several high-profile NFL players including two of Fitzpatrick’s new teammates: Tyreek Hill and Zach Sieler. The Dolphins seem to have quelled the dissatisfaction Hill expressed at the end of last season, while Sieler is seeking a raise after posting his second double-digit sack season in a row. Fitzpatrick was previously represented by Joe Segal of WME Sports.
The seven-year veteran had two years and a non-guaranteed $33.1MM remaining on his contract when he was traded to the Dolphins for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith, per OverTheCap. After seeing the Steelers sign Ramsey and Smith to new contracts after the deal went through, Fitzpatrick may be expecting the same treatment from the team that drafted him in the first round in 2018.
While he can be confident that he will earn his $15.5MM salary this year after Miami moved to acquire him at the end of June, Fitzpatrick would prefer to add guarantees to his $17.5MM salary in 2026, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. He may also be looking to take advantage of a safety market that eclipsed $21MM per year since he signed for a $18.25MM AAV in 2022. The 28-year-old will likely see the next two years as his last chance to sign a multi-year deal for a premium price.
Contract talks may not take place right away as the Dolphins will want to ensure that Fitzpatrick can fit back into their defense. Fitzpatrick’s play also appeared to take a step back in 2023 and 2024 compared to his three All-Pro seasons between 2019 and 2022, so his performance this year will be crucial to setting his market.
However, Miami is just as thin at safety as they are at cornerback. Their other projected starter is former Jet Ashtyn Davis, who has never started more than 10 games in a season with just six starts over the last two years. Behind Fitzpatrick and Davis are recent Day 3 draftees Patrick McMorris and Dante Trader, as well as a few undrafted free agents. Given the Dolphins’ lack of safety talent and use of resources to acquire Fitzpatrick this offseason, it’s hard to imagine that they don’t see him as a multi-year investment and will likely have to engage in negotiations as a result.