49ers Need to Trade for This Pro Bowl Safety

The wide receiver position is the low-hanging fruit when discussing a need for improvement on the San Francisco 49ers.

It makes sense given the lack of a dominant player there. However, another position that is close to being the No. 1 need for the 49ers is safety.

Ji'Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha aren't the answers at the position. They were mediocre this past season. And Marques Sigle is a work in progress with his loose pass coverage skills.

The 49ers must improve the safety position once and for all. It's been an issue for them for the last three years. That is why they need to trade for former Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

49ers need Minkah Fitzpatrick

Minkah Fitzpatrickj — Aug 23, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (29) looks on before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins have been discussing trades with teams for Fitzpatrick, per Jordan Schultz. The Dolphins are undergoing a committed reset of their team.

As a result, they are releasing players, like Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb, and are open to trading as well. If the Dolphins are shopping Fitzpatrick, then the 49ers need to be all over it.

Under no circumstances can they sit idly by while an impactful safety is available. It's time the 49ers stop being content with subpar performances at safety.

They need to let go of Brown. Kyle Shanahan admires him dearly, but he needs to distance the player from the person. He had a promising rookie year and hasn't come close to taking the next step.

Mustapha is almost in the same boat. He had a promising rookie year, but failed to ascend this past season. Maybe you can blame his knee injury and late start, but he had numerous mental errors.

Fitzpatrick clears both players. Acquiring him shouldn't cost them too much in draft capital. Fitzpatrick will be looking for a contract extension, so the 49ers have to commit to that.

Trading S Minkah Fitzpatrick

New Team Acquires
2026: $15.6M (non-gtd)#Dolphins Dead Cap
2026: $12.9M ($5.85M saved)

The 29-year-old projects toward a 3 year, $58M extension in our system. Miami acquired him along with a 5th-round pick in exchange for Jalen Ramsey, Jonnu…
— Spotrac (@spotrac) February 18, 2026

By no means is he worth a first-round pick, but a second-round pick should be doable for the 49ers to move off of. It's a pick near the end of the round anyway. It's basically a third-round pick.

Fitzpatrick will change a lot for the 49ers. No longer will there be a ton of missed tackles and poor angles taken to support the run.

No longer will there be numerous coverage busts at the back end, and no longer will a safety look lost when defending a receiver being targeted for a pass.

Fitzpatrick is a baller that I'm sure defensive coordinator Raheem Morris would love to have, given his background in defensive backs. Fitzpatrick would solve a lot of issues for the 49ers.

This shouldn't take long for them to discuss. Shanahan needs to tell John Lynch to get on the phone with the Dolphins to discuss what it will take immediately.

Put an end to mediocrity at the safety position and never look back.

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