When Minkah Fitzpatrick was traded to the Miami Dolphins last summer, it looked like an instant win for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fitzpatrick was coming off a down year, and in return for sending his services to South Beach, the Steelers received former All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith in the deal.
But less than a year later, the trade already looks like a flop for Pittsburgh... and the latest report makes it worse.
After a quality season in Miami—one in which Minkah graded out as a top-five safety in the league, per Pro Football Focus—the Dolphins are looking to trade the former All-Pro for a draft pick, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
With new head coach Jeff Hafley in town, the Dolphins have been busy making roster moves by moving on from old, overpriced players. It looks like Fitzpatrick is next on the list.
Now the Dolphins just gave the Steelers another reason to regret their blockbuster trade last offseason involving Fitzpatrick.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will have more Minkah Fitzpatrick trade remorse if the Dolphins can execute their next move
With the 2025 season in the rearview mirror, we can all agree that the Steelers got the raw end of the trade. Jalen Ramsey proved to be underwhelming at cornerback, and the Steelers were forced to move him to safety partway through the season. Meanwhile, Jonnu Smith—who came to Pittsburgh in the deal—had a pitiful season with the Steelers.
In Miami, Fitzpatrick had a bounce-back season—earning an 81.8 PFF grade (compared to a 64.4 grade for Ramsey in 2025).
After giving the Dolphins a quality season of play in the defensive backfield, Miami is reportedly looking to trade the 29-year-old safety for a draft pick. And if they're able to pull off a trade, this could make the Steelers' trade look even worse.
Not only were the Dolphins able to unload two bad contracts of Ramsey and Smith to Pittsburgh and get an impressive season out of Fitzpatrick, but now they might be able to get a mid-round draft pick as well.
Considering his age and contract, if the Dolphins can pull off a trade, it's likely to be in the ballpark of a fourth or fifth-round pick. Miami could also choose to swap Minkah to move up a handful of spots on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Either way, it's more than the Dolphins thought they would be getting in the deal. Hindsight is always twenty-twenty, but it's clear the Pittsburgh Steelers got the short end of the stick in the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade. And if the Dolphins can fetch a mid-round pick for the veteran one year after the trade, it will sting even worse for Steelers fans.