Fitzpatrick wants long-term stay with Dolphins

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins information Minkah Fitzpatrick said helium would similar to stay with the squad semipermanent aft agreeing to a revised declaration this past weekend.

Speaking to section media for the archetypal clip since his June 30 commercialized from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Fitzpatrick insisted that his prolonged soundlessness was not "an look of frustration" regarding his instrumentality to the Dolphins, who drafted him successful 2018.

While helium did not instrumentality questions astir the commercialized itself oregon his clip with the Steelers, helium thanked the enactment for his six seasons with the team.

"The metropolis of Pittsburgh treated maine precise well. I enjoyed my clip there, my teammates," helium said. "It was precise unfortunate the mode things ended -- it's a portion of concern and I'm highly excited to beryllium a Miami Dolphin ... I've been present successful the gathering for astir a week present and I'm highly excited astir this season. I deliberation we person a very, precise precocious ceiling."

Fitzpatrick precocious hired cause Drew Rosenhaus, who negotiated a revised declaration with the Dolphins that moved $2 cardinal from his 2026 wage to this year's salary, and created a $16.245 cardinal signing bonus. The determination gave Fitzpatrick a rise from his archetypal $15.5 cardinal wage and saved Miami astir $11 cardinal successful wage headdress abstraction this season.

More importantly, the determination was a amusement of bully religion from the Dolphins to Fitzpatrick of their willingness to negociate an hold successful the future.

Fitzpatrick said helium "definitely" wants to beryllium successful Miami long-term, having travel distant impressed during his abbreviated clip with this year's team.

"I truly similar the vigor and absorption that this is going. The civilization of this locker country is 1 that wants to triumph now," helium said. "I cognize that was reported that I wanted a caller contract, but I conscionable wanted to cognize I was going to beryllium present for much than a season."

The Dolphins drafted Fitzpatrick successful 2018 with the 11th wide prime but traded him to the Steelers a twelvemonth aboriginal owed to a quality with then-coach Brian Flores implicit his presumption and relation connected the team. He was named to 5 Pro Bowls and 3 All-Pro teams during his clip successful Pittsburgh.

He joins a Dolphins secondary that replaces 4 of its 5 starters from a play agone and has made an content aboriginal on. He recorded the team's archetypal interception of grooming campy during Saturday's signifier -- an diversion leaping prime disconnected of backmost Zach Wilson that near teammates amazed.

"Oh my goodness. Did you spot that pick? He's a beast," cornerback Jack Jones said. "I mean he's been a big-time sanction since helium got successful the league and was a big-time sanction erstwhile helium was astatine Alabama. He's a prima man, he's going to amusement that connected the field."

Miami volition look to Fitzpatrick to beryllium a person successful a secondary that volition regenerate 4 of its 5 starters from a play ago. His information done declaration negotiations was seen arsenic a affirmative for Dolphins manager Mike McDaniel, saying "that's however shot teams win."

Fitzpatrick said the connection helium received from McDaniel and wide manager Chris Grier was the aforesaid 1 they've sent to the remainder of a Dolphins squad looking to instrumentality to the playoffs aft falling abbreviated successful 2024.

"I deliberation there's a modular that Mike and Grier are trying to acceptable -- conscionable moving hard, being disciplined, being committed to this team, stripping yourself of ego, you cognize what I'm saying?" Fitzpatrick said. "This is an ego-driven athletics and I deliberation the champion teams are the teams that determination the ego, fto down the disguise and the pridefulness and play winning squad football.

"That's the connection that they sent to the squad is the aforesaid connection that they sent to me."