The San Francisco 49ers could use some help at the safety position, and one enticing player could be on the trade block as the Miami Dolphins are reportedly entertaining trading away Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Unsurprisingly, the Niners are seen as a potential landing spot for him. Their pass defense struggled for much of last season, and the defense could benefit from a veteran presence like Fitzpatrick in the secondary.
The 29-year-old has made the Pro Bowl five times in his career and is a three-time All-Pro. He's had 21 interceptions in his eight-year career, and at his best, Fitzpatrick is one of the best playmakers of anyone at the position.
2025 was a bit of a down year for the veteran. He played in 14 games and had one interception to go along with 82 tackles on the year. His best days with the Pittsburgh Steelers are probably long behind him, but Fitzpatrick should still have some gas left in the tank.
Minkah Fitzpatrick could upgrade 49ers secondary in a big way
Fitzpatrick would certainly be an upgrade over the safeties the Niners had last season. San Francisco relied on various combinations of Malik Mustapha, Ji'Ayir Brown, Marques Sigle, and Jason Pinnock throughout the year, getting solid play at times from those players but not consistently enough to warrant feeling in any way secure about the position going into 2026.
The 49ers need playmakers, as they are clearly still missing the way that Talanoa Hufanga would play the position, delivering big hits and picking the ball off with regularity when he was at his peak.
The question is what would San Francisco have to give up to get Fitzpatrick?
If Miami is just looking for picks to offload his salary, maybe the Niners would be willing to part ways with one of the fourth-round picks they have in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Or maybe the Dolphins would be interested in one of San Francisco's younger safeties. Perhaps they'd be willing to take a chance on Brown, Mustapha, or Sigle along with a late-round pick in exchange for the veteran.
Fitzpatrick is entering the final season of a four-year, $73.6 million contract and is owed $15.6 million in 2026. That's pretty expensive for a player who may be in decline, but maybe the Niners would be willing to take that risk.
The status quo may not cut it for San Francisco's defense going forward, so some risks may be necessary to improve the unit.