After a disastrous 2025 season in which their defense finished near the bottom of the league in most categories, the New York Jets have made a significant splash ahead of free agency.
New York agreed to a trade for three-time All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick with the Miami Dolphins for a 2026 seventh-round pick. The trade also comes with a three-year, $40 million extension for the veteran safety.
The Jets were the first team in NFL history to not record an interception all season. Their hope is that Fitzpatrick’s experience and his 21 career interceptions will be an immediate upgrade to their safety room.
With a manageable contract in tow, New York’s hopes could soon be realized.
Where does Fitzpatrick’s contract rank?
A fresh three-year, $40 million deal puts Fitzpatrick’s annual average with the Jets at $13.3 million. It’s a deal far below the market value for a safety of the five-time Pro Bowler’s caliber.
According to Over the Cap, Fitzpatrick’s annual average ranks 13th-highest among safeties, a ranking that will drop in the coming days as free agent deals are signed. It’s less than Jevon Holland makes with the New York Giants ($15 million) and Cam Bynum in Indianapolis ($15 million).
It’s a bit more than the deal Talanoa Hufanga received from the Denver Broncos, which was $13 million flat.
The $13.3 million annual salary will bite a chunk out of the Jets’ cap space this season, but it’s still unclear what the 2026 cap hit will be once fully agreed to. It will likely be lower than the $13.3 million salary, allowing the Jets to address other needs in free agency.
Regardless, the move adds a significant upgrade to a position the Jets clearly value under their current regime, at a price they can afford.
Jets safety room
It is not hyperbole to call the Jets’ safety room one of the worst groups in the NFL over the past few years. New York has struggled to find consistent starters at both the free and strong spots.
New York drafted Malachi Moore in the fourth round of the 2025 draft, who showed some promise as a rookie, but both starting spots were open for the Jets entering free agency. In Fitzpatrick, they’ve found a solution for one of those spots.
Fitzpatrick’s acquisition gives the Jets a true leader in the room, whom Moore can learn from. It also provides the first bit of defensive star power New York has had since parting ways with Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams.
Just two years removed from a Pro Bowl, Fitzpatrick is going to be 30 years old midway through the 2026 season. But as a leader and big-play performer, New York finally has someone they can trust for the long haul at the position.
And they got him for a fair price that will allow them to stay aggressive in free agency.