Minkah Finds Himself in Fine Mess

Miami Dolphins DB Minkah Fitzpatrick was fined for two separate incidents against the Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders tight end Colson Yankoff (80) carries the ball defended by Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (29) in the first quarter during the 2025 NFL Madrid Game at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A nice streak ended for the Miami Dolphins this week, and it was safety Minkah Fitzpatrick who ended up on the wrong end of things.

The NFL announced its fines for plays in Week 11, and Fitzpatrick was discipline for not one but two plays in the 16-13 overtime victory against the Washington Commanders.

Fitzpatrick was fined $17,389 for a hip-drop tackle and $12,172 for a low block.

Fitzpatrick was flagged for the low block, which occurred in the first quarter on a drive that ended with a Washington field goal. He was not, however, for the hip-drop tackle at the end of a 17-yard run by running back Chris Rodriguez into Miami territory on a second-quarter drive that ended with the first of kicker Matt Gay's two missed field goal attempts from 50 beyond yards.

The $17,389 fine was tied for third-highest among the 23 fines the NFL assessed for Week 11, all of which can be appealed.

Fitzpatrick became the first Dolphins player fined since Week 3 when both center Aaron Brewer (blindside block) and running back Ollie Gordon II (use of the helmet) were fined for plays in the Thursday night loss against the Buffalo Bills.

The only other Dolphins fine this season when to wide receiver Malik Washington, who like Gordon was disciplined for use of the helmet in the Week 2 loss against the New England Patriots.

Fitzpatrick is now one of seven player around the NFL to draw two fines from the same game this season.

For those keeping score, the Dolphins now have been assessed five fines this season, compared to four for their opponents — one each for the New York Jets in Week 4, the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6, the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8 and the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9.

TINDALL TIME

The Dolphins' top pick in the 2022 NFL draft, linebacker Channing Tindall, is set to make his season debut Sunday as a member of the Arizona Cardinals.

Tindall has been on the Cardinals' practice squad since September 10, a couple of weeks after the Dolphins made him part of their roster moves to get down to the 53-player roster limit and he was elevated to the game-day roster for their Week 12 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

After being selected in the third round out of Georgia in 2022, Tindall played 44 games for the Dolphins the previous three seasons but got only 21 total snaps on defense, with almost all of his playing time coming on special teams.

For that game against Jacksonville, Arizona also elevated from its practice squad tight end Pharaoh Brown, who spent training camp with the Dolphins after being signed as a free agent from the Seattle Seahawks. Brown also was elevated for Arizona's 41-22 loss against the San Francisco 49ers last week but didn't have any receptions during his 11 snaps.