Examining Minkah's Miami Comments ... and Other Former Dolphins Updates

Minkah Fitzpatrick got into the Dolphins record books this offseason when he tied the franchise mark in being traded away for a second time, but the circumstances were much different this time.

The four-time Pro Bowl safety and 2018 Dolphins draft pick acknowledged the well-accepted idea that he wanted out the first time around, though he specified the real reason during an appearance on The Pivot podcast with Channing Crowder, Ryan Clark and Fred Taylor.

And while previous speculation was that Fitzpatrick wanted out in 2019 because he didn't like then-head coach Brian Flores or the way he was going to be utilized, Fitzpatrick said the reason was much simpler.

"I saw what they were doing that season, and that's why I wanted out, you know what I'm saying?" Firtzpatrick said with a smirk. "Yeah, I knew what was going on. That's why I left that first time."

What the Dolphins did in 2019 was flush out most of their high-profile veterans and clear out cap space in a full rebuilding project that many analysts instead have referred to as a "tanking job."

Of course, this is where many would point out that the Dolphins are doing a lot of the same things in 2026 by jettisoning Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Bradley Chubb and, yes, Fitzpatrick, but there's one significant difference.

That difference is the Dolphins signing Malik Willis as a potential franchise quarterback, whereas in 2019 they brought in veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick at the end of his career and traded for Josh Rosen one year after he was the 10th overall selection and flopped as a rookie.

The 2026 Dolphins also have 13 rookie draft picks, to go along with an eight-player class from just a year ago, compared to only six picks in the 2019 draft.

The ironic part about Fitzpatrick's comment regarding his trade request is that Flores so vehemently rejected the notion of the Dolphins tanking in 2019 whenever the notion was brought up — and his not playing the clearly ill-equipped Rosen the whole season instead of Fitzpatrick certainly suggests he indeed was trying to win games.

This season, as in 2019, the Dolphins could use Fitzpatrick in the secondary but instead traded him away. In doing so, they made him the second player the team traded twice, along with long-ago quarterback John Stofa, traded to the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos sandwiched around signing with Miami as a free agent.

WHY MINKAH NEVER WAS COMING BACK IN 2026

Fitzpatrick, now a member of the New York Jets, is one trade away from tying the NFL record currently held by wide receiver Brandin Cooks and Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson.

When they re-acquired him from the Pittsburgh Steelers last summer, the Dolphins adjusted his contract to lower his cap number with everyone fully aware he'd want a new contract this year.

The Dolphins weren't willing to pay him big money, which made sense considering where the organization is at this time, so they put him on the trade market and ultimately the best they could was land a seventh-round pick for him.

FORMER DOLPHINS UPDATES

Keeping up with former members of the organization:

-- The Detroit Lions finally officially announced the hiring of former GM Chris Grier as a personnel advisor. Grier often was the target of fan displeasure during his tenure in Miami, which spanned from 2000 until he was fired on Halloween of last year, including nine years as general manager.

-- Former Dolphins backup QB Skylar Thompson's run of bad luck continues. The Baltimore Ravens placed him on injured reserve Wednesday, essentially ending his season or at least his time with Baltimore. This comes after Thompson spent the entire 2025 season on IR with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who he joined after leaving the Dolphins.

Add us as a preferred source on Google