Minkah Fitzpatrick speaks at last and drops a subtle but telling clue about his long-term future with the Dolphins

Fitzpatrick’s address to the media came one day after he agreed to an amended contract with the Dolphins, one that provided him with a $16.245 million signing bonus to help provide the Dolphins with over $11 million in new salary cap space. Some reports indicated that Fitzpatrick was seeking a new contract all together — which he did not get from Miami. For the Dolphins, who have brought in big-money players and paid them instantly before playing a down, adding no new years and no future guarantees or total value to the contract is a win for how Miami’s business has been problematic in the past. 

Fitzpatrick did affirm that he would like to be in Miami long-term. And he may have dropped a clue as to how his time in Miami will unfold. 

"Yeah, definitely. Like I said earlier, I’m really liking the energy and the direction that this is going. I think the culture of this locker room is one that wants to win — and win now. But that’s also something that I want to earn. I know it was reported that I wanted a new contract but I just wanted to know that I was going to be here for more than a season…and I got that. Now I’m going to go out there and play an All-Pro, Pro Bowl level and hopefully earn the respect of my teammates and the organization to have that long-term contract.”

- Minkah Fitzpatrick on staying in Miami

The words are meaningful. Stating that Fitzpatrick wants to stay in Miami is one thing, but it's only when you consider these words through what has troubled the Dolphins in recent years that you gain a full appreciation for what is being said here. Minkah Fitzpatrick is angling for long-term security and does want to be in Miami beyond just one season. But he understands the value in earning that opportunity with his play and being a healthy conduit for making plays with his teammates.

Those are the polar opposite of how things played out in Miami with star cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who was of course part of the package going back to Pittsburgh this summer.

It's also noteworthy that Fitzpatrick appears comfortable stating that his current contract adjustment, which still offers no guarantees beyond the first year of the contract, situates him to be in Miami beyond just one season. It begs the question of whether or not the Dolphins told Fitzpatrick that they would play ball long-term on a new contract but that they needed him to collect sweat equity with the organization before the other shoe falls.

Either way, you can officially put the speculation to bed. No, Minkah Fitzpatrick isn't quietly scheming a second escape from South Florida. It's quite the contrary — he's plotting and planning to make a new contract and a long-term marriage between the two sides an obvious, no brainer decision down the road.