Jets' Free Agency Plan Post-Minkah Fitzpatrick Trade Revealed By Insiders

Is New York set at the safety position?

Jul 28, 2025; Miami Gardens, MI, USA; Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (29) works during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Making a trade just before free agency can be a sign of many things in the NFL.

On Monday, the New York Jets acquired five-time Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins, as first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter. It only cost the Jets a seventh-round pick to land Fitzpatrick, who had become an albatross on the Dolphins' payroll, and agent Drew Rosenhaus told Schefter that New York also immediately inked the safety to a three-year, $40 million extension.

Often, a trade like this might signify that a team is done adding at a position and will focus its free agency capital elsewhere. But amid an offseason of heavy turnover at the safety position, the Jets don't seem to be in that boat.

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Jets' next steps at safety

Dec 14, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA;New York Jets defensive back Malachi Moore (27) returns a fumble against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

According to a Monday report from Zack Rosenblatt and Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Jets remain likely to pursue safety help in free agency, as veterans Tony Adams and Andre Cisco are both widely regarded as long shots to return to New York.

"The Jets are adding a five-time Pro Bowl safety at a reasonable cost — and they’re likely not done adding at the position," the two insiders wrote. "Entering the free-agent negotiating window on Monday, their only other returning safety of note is second-year player Malachi Moore, who they drafted in the fourth round in 2025."

The most widely-panned stat about this Jets roster in 2025 was the fact that the defense did not record a single interception, and it's fair not to entrust that duty to Fitzpatrick and Moore. The former has just two in his last three seasons after a career-high six in 2022, and the latter is seeking his first.

If the Jets are shopping at the high end of the safety market still, Bryan Cook of the Kansas City Chiefs, Coby Bryant of the Seattle Seahawks, and Jaquan Brisker of the Chicago Bears are a few of the names to watch. But in the more likely scenario that Fitzpatrick is their one marquee acquisition at the position, there are dozens of budget-friendly options.