The Sports Buff ⚽️ ⚾️ 🏈

By Ewan Jackson (Sports Guru the-sports-buff.com)

14th August 2025

Seven years after initially being drafted by the Miami Dolphins, Minkah Fitzpatrick marked his return to the Fins by putting pen to paper on a reworked contract following his trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers. With a multi-year extension already being discussed, the 3-time All-Pro re-joins the Dolphins organisation in a blockbuster trade that sees tight-end Jonnu Smith and safety Jalen Ramsey move in the opposite direction. In a summer of shake-ups in Miami, Fitzpatrick’s return will no doubt excite fans ahead of the upcoming season.

An underwhelming campaign last time out saw the Dolphins stutter to an 8-9 season, falling way below pre-season expectations of a play-off push. In a summer which has seen attentions from the Dolphins’ management to change the culture of fragility, the return of Fitzpatrick is no doubt evidence to instigate a shift in mentality at the Hard Rock Stadium. After leaving the Dolphins in 2019, Minkah has established himself as one of the NFL’s best in his position. An ever-present cog in a well-oiled Steelers secondary, Fitzpatrick’s decision to re-join the Fins represents a real coup for the ambitions of Miami.

This year’s draft also saw the Dolphins address issues at the line of scrimmage. With two defensive tackles (Kenneth Grant and Jordan Phillips) drafted within the first three rounds, GM Chris Grier has looked to correct the failures of previous years and strengthen the defensive unit into one that can compete with NFL offences. Fitzpatrick will no doubt be seen as a leader of the new-look defence by Miami’s coaching team and it must be said that an improvement on that side of the ball is pivotal for any chance of success this year.

The Dolphins begin the regular season on 7th September, where they travel to the Lucas Oil Stadium to face the Indianapolis Colts.

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