 Fitzpatrick in 2019 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 29 – Miami Dolphins | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Safety | ||||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1996-11-17)November 17, 1996 (age 29) Old Bridge, New Jersey, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 207 lb (94 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, New Jersey) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Alabama (2015–2017) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2018: 1st round, 11th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 9, 2025 | |||||||||||||||
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Minkah Annane Fitzpatrick Jr. (born November 17, 1996)[1] is an American professionalfootballsafety for theMiami Dolphins of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theAlabama Crimson Tide, and was selected by the Dolphins in the first round of the2018 NFL draft. He has also played for thePittsburgh Steelers.
Fitzpatrick attendedSt. Peter's Preparatory School inJersey City, New Jersey, where he playedhigh school football for the Marauders.[2] He was a wide receiver on offense and a defensive back on defense. In 2014, he caught 45 passes for 1,111 yards and 12 touchdowns, while recording 70 tackles and three interceptions on defense. He also ran track. He placed first at the Hudson County Championships with times of 10.86 seconds and 21.66 seconds in the 100 and 200 meters, respectively.[3]
Considered a five-star recruit byESPN.com, Fitzpatrick was listed as the No. 4 cornerback in the nation in 2015.[4]
Fitzpatrick signed withAlabama at the 2015National Signing Day,[5] after being verbally committed for almost a year.[6]
As atrue freshman in 2015, Fitzpatrick started 10 of 14 games, missing one game due to injury. He recorded 45 total tackles, with three for a loss, two sacks, two interceptions (both returned for scores), 11 pass breakups, one quarterback hurry, and one punt return for a touchdown.[7] He was part of theAlabama team that won thenational championship overClemson.[8] He was named a Freshman All-American byThe Sporting News after Alabama'schampionship season.[9]
In hissophomore season in 2016, Fitzpatrick returned an interception 100 yards in a 49–30 win over then-16th rankedArkansas.[2] The interception broke the Alabama Crimson Tide record for longest interception returned for a touchdown. In that same game, he tied the Alabama records for most interceptions in a game (3), and career interceptions returned for a touchdown (4). In the2016 SEC Championship Game againstFlorida, Fitzpatrick broke the Alabama all-time record for career interceptions returned for a touchdown (4).[10] He was named as a consensus All-American for 2016.[11]
In hisjunior season in 2017, Fitzpatrick recorded 60 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, and seven passes defensed.[12] He won hissecond national championship as the Crimson Tide defeatedGeorgia 26–23 in overtime.[13] He won the Chuck Bednarik Award and Jim Thorpe Award.[14][15] He earned consensus All-American honors for the second consecutive season.[16]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| CFP national champion | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GP | Tackles | Interceptions | ||||||||||||||
| Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | ||||||||||
| 2015 | Alabama | 14 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 2.0 | 2 | 88 | 44.0 | 2 | 10 | |||||||
| 2016 | Alabama | 15 | 66 | 42 | 24 | 1.5 | 6 | 186 | 31.0 | 2 | 7 | |||||||
| 2017 | Alabama | 13 | 60 | 38 | 22 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 7 | |||||||
| Career | 42 | 171 | 110 | 61 | 5.0 | 9 | 274 | 30.4 | 4 | 24 | ||||||||
On January 11, 2018, Fitzpatrick announced his decision to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the2018 NFL draft.[17] Fitzpatrick attended theNFL Scouting Combine inIndianapolis and completed the majority of combine drills, but opted to skip the short shuttle and three-cone drill. On March 7, 2018, Fitzpatrick participated at Alabama'spro day, but opted to stand on his combine numbers and only performed the short shuttle, three-cone drill, and positional drills.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Minkah Fitzpatrick's NFL Combine Workout | |
| Minkah Fitzpatrick's 40-yard dash |
Fitzpatrick attended pre-draft visits with theChicago Bears,Tampa Bay Buccaneers, andSan Francisco 49ers. His versatility allowed him to possibly play safety or cornerback as a professional, but Fitzpatrick expressed his desire to primarily play cornerback to multiple teams.[18] NFL analystMel Kiper Jr. stated Fitzpatrick may experience a slide in the draft due to not having a defined role.[19] At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Fitzpatrick was projected to be a first round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was expected to be drafted within the top 15 selections. Fitzpatrick was ranked as the top cornerback prospect in the draft by DraftScout.com and was ranked as the topsafety prospect bySports Illustrated and NFL analystMike Mayock.[20][21]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft0+1⁄8 in (1.83 m) | 204 lb (93 kg) | 31+1⁄4 in (0.79 m) | 9+3⁄8 in (0.24 m) | 4.46 s | 1.52 s | 2.58 s | 4.13 s | 6.73 s | 33 in (0.84 m) | 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m) | 14 reps | |
| All values fromNFL draft[22][23] | ||||||||||||
TheMiami Dolphins selected Fitzpatrick in the first round with the 11th overall pick in the2018 NFL draft.[24] Fitzpatrick was the first safety drafted in 2018.[25] On June 1, 2018, the Dolphins signed Fitzpatrick to a fully guaranteed four-year, $16.4 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $10.04 million.[26][27]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Dolphins draft Fitzpatrick 11th overall | |
| NFL Draft Profile: Minkah Fitzpatrick |
During training camp, Fitzpatrick competed againstT. J. McDonald to be the starting free safety. He learned both safety positions and primarily ran with the second team.[28] Head coachAdam Gase named Fitzpatrick the primary backup safety to begin the regular season, behind starters McDonald andReshad Jones.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Fitzpatrick grabs first career INT off Tom Brady |
On September 9, 2018, Fitzpatrick made his professional regular season debut in the Miami Dolphins' home-opener against theTennessee Titans in Week 1 and recorded six combined tackles (three solo) as well as breaking up a pass, in their 27–20 victory.[29] In Week 3, he earned his first career start after Reshad Jones was declared inactive due to a shoulder injury and finished the Dolphins' 28–20 victory over theOakland Raiders with ten combined tackles (two solo).[30] On September 30, 2018, he collected ten combined tackles (four solo), two pass deflections, and made his first career interception off a throw by quarterbackTom Brady intended for wide receiverPhillip Dorsett during a 38–7 loss at theNew England Patriots.[31][32] On December 16, 2018, Fitzpatrick collected a season-high six solo tackles, deflected a pass, and intercepted a pass byKirk Cousins that was intended forStefon Diggs to return it for 50-yards to score his first career touchdown in the Dolphins' 17–41 loss at theMinnesota Vikings.[33][34] He finished his rookie season in2018 with 80 combined tackles (51 solo), two interceptions, nine passes defended, and a touchdown while appearing in all 16 games and starting in 11 of them.[35]
On December 31, 2018, the Miami Dolphinsfired head coachAdam Gase after they finished the2018 NFL season with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs.[36]
Throughouttraining camp, head coachBrian Flores and defensive coordinatorPatrick Graham began utilizing Fitzpatrick in multiple different roles in the secondary and chose to selectBobby McCain and Reshad Jones as the starting safeties with Fitzpatrick acting as the primary nickelback and backup safety.[37][38]
On September 8, 2019, he started in the Miami Dolphins' home-opener at nickelback and recorded six combined tackles (four solo) in a 59–10 loss to theBaltimore Ravens.[39] On September 13, 2019, it was reported Fitzpatrick was granted permission to have his agent seek a trade after it was requested. He was unhappy with his role under Brian Flores, as he was playing out of his natural position and played four different roles in the season-opener.[40] In Week 2 against the Patriots, Fitzpatrick made six tackles and recovered a fumble by running backSony Michel in their 43–0 loss.[41]
On September 16, 2019, the Miami Dolphins traded Fitzpatrick, along with their2020 fourth round (Kevin Dotson) and2021 seventh round (Tre Norwood) draft picks, to thePittsburgh Steelers, in exchange for the Steelers' 2020 first round (Austin Jackson), 2020 fifth round (Jason Strowbridge), and 2021 sixth round (eventually traded to theNew York Jets) draft picks.[42]Head coachMike Tomlin immediately inserted him into the starting lineup with Fitzpatrick taking over the starting free safety role fromSean Davis.
On September 22, 2019, Fitzpatrick made his debut with the Pittsburgh Steelers and recorded five combined tackles (four solo), a pass deflection, forced a fumble, and also had an interception onJimmy Garoppolo after it was deflected byJoe Haden in their 24–20 loss to theSan Francisco 49ers.[43] On October 6, 2019, Fitzpatrick collected a season-high seven combined tackles (six solo) during a 26–23 loss against theBaltimore Ravens.In Week 8, he made two combined tackles (one solo), two pass deflections, and had two interceptions thrown by former teammateRyan Fitzpatrick, setting a career-high in a 27–14 victory against theMiami Dolphins.[44] On November 8, 2019, he collected seven tackles (four solo), one pass deflection, and intercepted a pass thrown byBrian Hoyer and returned it for a 96-yard touchdown in a 26–24 win against theIndianapolis Colts.[45] Fitzpatrick's pick-six was the third longest interception return for a touchdown in franchise history. The following week, Fitzpatrick made four combined tackles (three solo), two pass deflections, one interception, and scored a touchdown after he had a 43-yard return after he recovered a fumble teammateJavon Hargrave caused while sackingJared Goff during a 17–12 victory against theLos Angeles Rams. His interception happened during a pass attempt by Jared Goff with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, sealing the Steelers' victory.[46][47]
He started in all 14 games during his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers and had 69 comvined tackles (44 solo), five interceptions, nine pass deflections, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, and two touchdowns while[48] He was ranked 35th by his fellow players in theNFLTop100Players of 2020.[49] He was voted to the2020 Pro Bowl, marking his firstPro Bowl of his career.
Defensive coordinatorKeith Butler retained Fitzpatrick as the starting free safety to begin the2020 NFL season, alongside strong safetyTerrell Edmunds.[50] On October 18, 2020, Fitzpatrick made one tackle, a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass attempt byBaker Mayfield while covering tight endHarrison Bryant and returned it for a 38-yard touchdown as the Steelers defeated theCleveland Browns 38–7 win.[51] In Week 8 against the Ravens, Fitzpatrick forced a fumble on quarterbackLamar Jackson which was recovered by teammateRobert Spillane and later broke up a pass thrown by Jackson in the endzone with no time left on the clock to secure a 28–24 Steelers' victory.[52] On November 22, 2020, Fitzpatrick made five combined tackles (two solo), two pass deflections, and set a season-high two interceptions from passes byJake Luton in a 27–3 victory against theJacksonville Jaguars in Week 11. His performance helped propel the Steelers to their first 10–0 start in franchise history.[53][54]
He finished the2020 NFL season with 79 combined tackles (60 solo), four interceptions, 11 passes defended, and one forced fumble.[55] He was ranked 52nd by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2021.[56] The Pittsburgh Steelers finished stop theAFC North with a 12–4 record, qualifying for a playoff berth. On January 17, 2021, Fitzpatrick started in his first postseason game of his career and produced six combined tackles (four solo) as the Steelers lost 37–48 at theCleveland Browns in the AFC Wildcard Game.[57]
On April 27, 2021, the Pittsburgh Steelers chose to exercise the fifth-year option on Fitzpatrick's rookie contract, worth a guaranteed $10.61 million for the 2022 season.[58][59] Head coach Mike Tomlin chose to remain with Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds as the starting safety tandem to kickoff the regular season.[60]
On November 15, Fitzpatrick tested positive forCOVID-19 and was put on the Steelers' Reserve-COVID list.[61] He was inactive for a Week 11 loss at theLos Angeles Chargers. On December 5, 2021, he made nine combined tackles (seven solo), a pass deflection, and had an interception on a throw byLamar Jackson to tight endMark Andrews during a 19–20 win against theBaltimore Ravens,.[62] In Week 15, Fitzpatrick racked up a career-high 14 combined tackles (12 solo) as the Steelers defeated theTennessee Titans 19–13. He ended the2021 NFL season with a total of 124 combined tackles (84 solo), two interceptions, seven passes defended, and one forced fumble in 16 games and 16 starts.[63]
On June 15, 2022, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Fitzpatrick to a four-year,$73.61 million contract that includes $36.00 million guaranteed upon signing and asigning bonus of $17.50 million.[27] With an annual salary of $18.4 million, he became the highest paid safety in the NFL at the time, later being surpassed byDerwin James of theLos Angeles Chargers.[64][65]Teryl Austin was promoted to defensive coordination due to the retirement of Keith Butler. Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds returned as the starting safety duo under Teryl Austin.
On September 11, 2022, Fitzpatrick began the season with his best performance of the year, collecting a season-high 14 combined tackles (10 solo), made a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass onJoe Burrow's first pass attempt of the game, returning it 31-yards for a touchdown. He also blocked a game-winning extra point off of kickerEvan McPherson, as the Steelers won at theCincinnati Bengals 23–20 in overtime.[66] His performance earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week.[67] In Week 4, he produced a total of eight combined tackles (five solo), a season-high with two pass deflections, and had an interception on a pass attempt byZach Wilson in a 20–24 victory over theNew York Jets. On November 12, 2022, Fitzpatrick complained of stomach pain and after consulting a doctor he was diagnosed withappendicitis and immediately underwent surgery. He was inactive the following day as the Steelers defeated theNew Orleans Saints 20–10. On January 1, 2023, Fitzpatrick made nine combined tackles (four solo), had a pass deflection, and had an interception on a throw byLamar Jackson during a 16–13 victory at theBaltimore Ravens.[68] He finished the2022 NFL season with a total of 96 combined tackles (56 solo), 11 pass deflections, six interceptions, and a touchdown in 15 games and 15 starts.[69] He was named as a first team All-Pro and voted to be a 2023 Pro Bowler.[70][71] He was named the 2024Bart Starr Award winner for his contributions on and off the field.[72]
Head coachMike Tomlin named Fitzpatrick andKeanu Neal the starting safeties to begin the regular season.[73] In Week 4, he tied his season-high of 11 combined tackles (seven solo) during a 6–30 loss at theHouston Texans. On October 29, 2023, Fitzpatrick suffered a hamstring injury during a 20–10 loss to theJacksonville Jaguars, sidelining him for four consecutive games (Weeks 9–12).[74]
On December 16, 2023, Fitzpatrick injured his left knee in the second quarter of a 13–30 loss to theIndianapolis Colts and was inactive for the last three games of the season (Weeks 16–18).[75] He finished with 64 combined tackles (43 solo) and three pass deflections in ten games and ten starts.[76] The Pittsburgh Steelers finished third in the AFC North with a 10–7 record to earn a Wildcard berth. On January 15, 2024, Fitzpatrick had ten combined tackles (five solo) during a 17–31 loss at theBuffalo Bills in the AFC Wildcard Game.[77]
Head coach Mike Tomlin remained with Fitzpatrick as the starting free safety, but paired him withDeShon Elliott who was acquired in free agency. In Week 5, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (eight solo) and had one pass deflection as the Steelers lost 17–20 to theDallas Cowboys. On December 21, 2024, he made six combined tackles (two solo), a season-high two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass attempt byLamar Jackson to wide receiverRashod Bateman in a 17–34 loss at theBaltimore Ravens.[78] He finished the 2024 NFL season with a total of 96 combined tackles (64 solo), four pass deflections, one interception, and a forced fumble while starting all 17 games.[77] Fitzpatrick was voted to the2025 Pro Bowl, along withT. J. Watt,Cameron Heyward, andChris Boswell.[79]
On June 30, 2025, Fitzpatrick, along with a 2027 fifth-round pick, was traded back to theMiami Dolphins in exchange forJalen Ramsey,Jonnu Smith, and a 2027 seventh-round pick.[80][81]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | TD | ||
| 2018 | MIA | 16 | 11 | 80 | 51 | 29 | 0.0 | 9 | 2 | 64 | 32.0 | 50T | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | MIA | 2 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| PIT | 14 | 14 | 57 | 36 | 21 | 0.0 | 9 | 5 | 130 | 26.0 | 96T | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2020 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 79 | 60 | 19 | 0.0 | 11 | 4 | 70 | 17.5 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 124 | 84 | 40 | 0.0 | 7 | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | PIT | 15 | 15 | 96 | 56 | 40 | 0.0 | 11 | 6 | 94 | 15.7 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | PIT | 10 | 10 | 64 | 43 | 21 | 0.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | PIT | 17 | 17 | 96 | 62 | 34 | 0.0 | 4 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 106 | 101 | 608 | 400 | 208 | 0.0 | 54 | 20 | 408 | 20.4 | 96T | 4 | 5 | 5 | 1 | |
Fitzpatrick was born to Melissa and Minkah Fitzpatrick Sr. inOld Bridge, New Jersey. Growing up, Fitzpatrick faced financial struggles, particularly in 2011 whenHurricane Irene severely damaged his family's home. His father, who had been laid off from his job as a truck mechanic, took on multiple jobs to support the family, while Minkah helped rebuild their home. These early hardships instilled in him a strong sense of discipline, faith, and perseverance. Fitzpatrick, who was raised in a Christian household, has often spoken about the importance of his faith, citing Bible verses such asMicah 7:8, which he has said helped guide him through difficult times. He has remained deeply committed to his family and faith during his career, often crediting them as the foundation of his success both on and off the field.[82]
Fitzpatrick has four siblings: Justice, Promise, Destiny, and Devine.[83] His younger brother, Justice Fitzpatrick, is a high school football player and a top recruit for the class of 2026. In June 2024, Justice received a scholarship offer from the University of Alabama, where Minkah played college football, though he would be playing under a different coaching staff.[84]
Fitzpatrick has been in a long-term relationship with Maya Stokes, a fashion model represented by Docherty Talent Agency in Pittsburgh. The couple maintains a private life, with Maya keeping a minimal online presence.[85] On October 7, 2024, Fitzpatrick and Stokes welcomed their first child, a son named Uzai Fitzpatrick, at the Allegheny Health Network’s labor and delivery unit at Wexford Hospital. The delivery was overseen by Dr. Ronald Cypher, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ preferred gynecologist. Uzai was born weighing 6 pounds, 8 ounces.[86][87]
