Minkah Fitzpatrick, Los Angeles Rams
Getty
Minkah Fitzpatrick #29 of the Miami Dolphins reacts during a game against the New York Jets.
The Los Angeles Rams plan to be aggressive in building out their roster around reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, which could include making a trade for a player on the other side of the line of scrimmage, like Minkah Fitzpatrick.
LA ranked 10th in scoring defense, but they were 17th overall and, even more, were 19th against the pass.
Fitzpatrick could help there, and in the run game, with his versatility.
Rams Urged to Target Minkah Fitzpatrick as Kamren Curl Replacement
Minkah Fitzpatrick
GettyMinkah Fitzpatrick #29 of the Miami Dolphins speaks to the media ahead of a game against the Washington Commanders.
The Rams enter the offseason facing uncertainty at safety regarding Kamren Curl, whose role Fitzpatrick could fill if not surpass. Both players offer versatility, but Fitzpatrick might fit that mold even more, logging reps as a nickel, linebacker, and blitzer in his career.
“Sources: The #Dolphins have had trade talks with teams regarding 5x Pro Bowl S Minkah Fitzpatrick,” Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported on X on February 18. “Miami released four players earlier this week, including Tyreek Hill, and are in the early stages of resetting the roster under a new regime.”
The context makes the news less surprising.
Schultz’s report sparked CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo to list the Rams among the potential suitors for Fitzpatrick on the trade market.
“It’s conceivable to think that Fitzpatrick would be the difference in helping the Rams leapfrog the newly crowned champion Seattle Seahawks as the NFL’s best team,” CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo wrote on February 19.
“While they have some talented defensive backs, the Rams lack speed and experience in that area. Fitzpatrick would fill both of those voids while giving defensive coordinator Chris Shula another proven commodity alongside emerging stars Jared Verse, Byron Young, Kamren Curl and Quentin Lake.”
The Rams also have 2024 third-round pick Kamren Kinchens.
Minkah Fitzpatrick Trade Could Prove Costly
Miami Dolphins
GettyMinkah Fitzpatrick #29 of the Miami Dolphins on the field during training camp.
Fitzpatrick turns 30 in November. He finished the 2025 season with 82 total tackles, 6 pass deflections, 2 fumble recoveries, 1.0 sacks, and 1 interception in 14 games.
Fitzpatrick is a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time First Team All-Pro. Injuries have held him back. He missed at least one game in each of the past five seasons, split between the Dolphins, who drafted him 11th overall in 2018, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti notably listed Fitzpatrick as an extension candidate for the Dolphins.
“The 29-year-old remains one of the best defensive backs in the game, currently rated #4 among safeties by PFF at the time of this piece, and is entering a contract year in 2026, set to earn $15.6M against an $18.8M cap hit,” Ginnitti wrote in December 2025. “He projects toward a 3 year, $60M extension in our system right now.”
The Rams can make that work financially, the question is whether they want to, when they have already doled out one moderate extension, giving Lake a three-year, $38.2 millin pact during the campaign.
Rams Trade Pitch Lands Dolphins’ Minkah Fitzpatrick
Minkah Fitzpatrick
GettyMinkah Fitzpatrick #29 off the Miami Dolphins warms up before a game.
Fitzpatrick is signed through 2026 on a two-year, $33.1 million contract with a $15.6 million base salary, though the Rams could re-work that number with an extension.
This Heavy Sports Rams trade pitch would see LA land Fitzpatrick this offseason.
Rams get:
Minkah Fitzpatrick
Dolphins get:
Conditional 2026 fourth-round pick
Unless the Dolphins agree to absorb a significant portion of Fitzpatrick’s salary, their return in a trade will be on the lower end of the spectrum, which would further entice a team that is close but still has wiggle room–like the Rams do–to pounce.