NFL will soon figure out what Jets fans have been saying for months

The New York Jets have made it a mission to give their defense a massive injection of veteran talent in the 2026 season, bringing in battle-scarred leaders like Demario Davis and David Onyemata to further that end. Somehow, bringing former All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick into the mix had flown under the radar.

The Jets decided to fix their laughable safety room with a former All-Pro on a fairly economical three-year contract. After looking like a productive leader on a Miami Dolphins secondary that was five times better than it had any right to be last season, Fitzpatrick may provide the same force-multiplying boost now that he is back in his home state.

Pro Football Focus listed Fitzpatrick coming to the Jets as one of the five most underrated moves of the 2026 offseason, citing the top-five PFF grade among qualified safeties he had last year since moving to more of a slot role. Fitzpatrick's turnover generation will help the safety room, which was ranked 26th in the league last season.

Jets acquiring Minkah Fitzpatrick named one of PFF's underrated moves

The Jets have one of two ways they can use Fitzpatrick. In keeping with the recent trend in the NFL, they could use him as a bigger nickel defender, which is what prompted his 2025 resurgence in Miami (under new Jets DC Brian Duker). However, this may bring him into conflict with rookie corner D'Angelo Ponds.

Fitzpatrick may have lost a step in terms of covering ground as a safety, but he is still their best defender at this position by leaps and bounds. His ball-hawking skills and veteran savvy will be welcomed on a team that was plagued by a historically low bounty of turnovers in the 2025 season.

Minkah is the lone reason a Jets safety room that was one of their biggest issues in 2026 will not be as inept in the 2026 season. Beside him, there is a three-way competition between second-year prospect Malachi Moore, returning vet Andre Cisco, and new signing Dane Belton for the second safety gig, with no clear frontrunner.

Fitzpatrick is still an impactful safety, and getting him for next to nothing on a contract that is right in line with what other top performers at his position are earning was one of the best bits of business Darren Mougey and the front office managed to close in the offseason. Will it translate into wins? That remains to be seen.

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