What Fitzpatrick Said About Being Back in Miami

Minkah Fitzpatrick met with the South Florida media Monday for the first time since the trade that brought him back to the Miami Dolphins, and he clearly wanted to send the message that he’s happy and excited about a future with the team.

Because of his profile as a player and the magnitude of the trade, the fact he hadn’t spoken to the media had become a talking point.

So he made it a point to address his silence right away.

As the first question began to come his way, he interrupted.

“I know I haven't addressed the media or posted on social media, but I just wanted to make a statement,” he said. “I know I haven't addressed the media or posted on social media. One, I'm not a big social media guy, you ain't gonna see me on there, period, point blank.

“Two, there ain't no way, shape, or form was that in expression of frustration about coming back to Miami.

“Three, I want to thank the city of Pittsburgh, the fans of Pittsburgh, you guys treated me very well. I enjoyed my time there and I played with some great teammates. It was very unfortunate the way things ended, but it's a part of the business. And I'm extremely, extremely excited to be a Miami Dolphin.

“Again, my silence was not a reflection of how I felt about this team, this organization. I've been here in the building for about a week now, and I'm extremely excited about this season. I think we have a very, very high ceiling. We have a lot of young, hungry, passionate guys, combined with a lot of guys who played a lot of games and have a lot of accolades. So this is an organization that I'm extremely proud to be a part of.

“And again, my silence was nothing to do with my feelings towards the Dolphins organization. With that being said, I'm not gonna take any questions about how the transaction went down, I'm not gonna take any questions about Pittsburgh or previous coaches or anything like that. I would like to respectfully talk about this current situation, this team, my players, my coaches, and I would appreciate if you would all respect those wishes.”

MINKAH EXPLAINS SIGNIFICANCE OF NEW CONTRACT

The Dolphins gave Fitzpatrick a revised contract over the weekend, converting salary into a signing bonus.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus indicated he’s continue talks with the Dolphins toward a multi-year extension, which is what Fitzpatrick says he wants.

“Yeah, definitely,” he said. “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 it's also something that I want to earn. I know there was a report that I wanted a new contract, but I just wanted to know that I was gonna be here for more than a season, you know what I'm saying? And I got that. And now I'm gonna go out there, play All-Pro level and hopefully earn the respect of my teammates and the organization to have that long-term contract.”

Fitzpatrick, of course, is back with the Dolphins after the team traded him to Pittsburgh early in the 2019 season.

He was asked what he took from that first experience in South Florida.

“Just like any time you look back on life, I think there's highs, there's lows, there's blessings, there's pros, there's cons, you know what I'm saying?” Fitzpatrick said. “But you learn from the blessings, you learn from the lessons and keep pushing.

“I would say I'm definitely a lot more emotionally mature. I think I was very emotionally unintelligent back then. I learned from my mistakes, you know what I'm saying? And I tried to grow in that area. I tried to get to know the people around me better and learn how to communicate, learn how to not communicate, you know what I'm saying?”

Fitzpatrick played at Hard Rock Stadium in 2022 when the Steelers came to South Florida for a Sunday night game, and he referenced it Monday.

“I'm very excited,” Fitzpatrick said. “It's very nostalgic. We played here (three) seasons ago, and I remember pulling up to the stadium and walking on the field, and I felt like I was back in town? And now it's the same feeling, just being back down here. Obviously, it's a different facility. It's a beautiful facility. But like I said, it's very nostalgic. A lot of the staff and trainers and stuff like that is the same. So it was almost like I just went back in time. So it's been fun and my family's down here, so it's good to be back close to them.”

This version of Fitzpatrick who’s back with the Dolphins is not only a more mature but obviously a more accomplished NFL player.

There’s something missing from his resume, however, and that’s a playoff win.

We all know the Dolphins haven’t won a playoff game since the 2000 season, but Pittsburgh also has been in a drought — the Steelers’ last playoff game came in the 2016 season against, yes, the Dolphins.

“I think as a player, I think I hit a lot of those marks that I want, but as a teammate, I haven't won a playoff game, haven't been to a Super Bowl, haven't won a conference championship,” Fitzpatrick said. “So there's a lot for me that I still want to accomplish. There's still a lot left for me to check off the list.”

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