The New York Jets are acquiring five-time Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins and signing him to a three-year, $40 million contract extension, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Monday.
The Jets will send a seventh-round pick in this year's draft to the Dolphins in the trade, according to two people who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade can’t become official until the start of the NFL’s new league year on Wednesday.
The deal, first reported by ESPN, addresses a major need for the Jets, who became the first team in NFL history to go an entire season without an interception.
The 29-year-old Fitzpatrick had one year left on his contract with the Dolphins worth a non-guaranteed $15.6 million.
It's the second major trade this off-season for the Jets, who are looking to upgrade their defence in coach Aaron Glenn's second season. New York acquired nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat from Tennessee for edge rusher Jermaine Johnson last month.
Glenn fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks with three games left in the season and hired Brian Duker in January to oversee the defence, but he said he would call the plays this coming season.
Safety was an area the Jets were expected to address in free agency, with Malachi Moore — who was solid as a rookie — the only player on the roster with significant playing time. Andre Cisco and Tony Adams, both of whom have been starters, are set to be free agents.
Fitzpatrick has 21 career interceptions, although he had only one in 14 games this past season for the Dolphins.
The deal comes on a day Miami announced it is moving on from Tua Tagovailoa as its quarterback. The team announced that Tagovailoa, who has been the main starter for the last 5 1/2 seasons, would be released.
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