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The San Francisco 49ers continue the offseason with familiar questions about their secondary. Their pass defense ranked 25th in the NFL last season, 21st in touchdown passes allowed, and 29th in interceptions forced. The numbers reflect a unit that cost them in critical moments and needs meaningful improvement heading into the 2026 season.
Help may be available from an unlikely source. The Miami Dolphins have spent the past week dismantling some of their roster. Tyreek Hill has been released. Bradley Chubb is gone. Tua Tagovailoa is rumored to be next. The fire sale has created uncertainty around one of the most accomplished safeties in the league.
And according to CBS Sports, the 49ers should be one of the teams paying close attention to the situation.
The Dolphins Open the Door
Minkah Fitzpatrick is 30 years old, entering the final year of his contract, and reportedly available.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported this week that Miami is fielding calls from multiple teams about a potential trade involving the five-time Pro Bowler.
Fitzpatrick spent six productive seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers before being traded back to Miami last year. During his time in Pittsburgh he earned three All-Pro nods and established himself as one of the best safeties in the game.
Last season with the Dolphins he recorded 82 tackles, one interception, one sack, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble across 14 games.
Sources: The #Dolphins have had trade talks with teams regarding 5x Pro Bowl S Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Miami released four players earlier this week, including Tyreek Hill, and are in the early stages of resetting the roster under a new regime.
Why San Francisco Makes Sense
The 49ers’ secondary has been searching for an answer since Talanoa Hufanga was at his peak. Since then, San Francisco has struggled to find the consistent, playmaking presence the position demands.
Fitzpatrick provides exactly that. His versatility is what separates him from most players at the position. Last season he lined up at free safety, in the slot, as a linebacker, and on the edge.
Adding Fitzpatrick would give the new 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris an experienced operator, who has seen every offensive scheme the NFC West can throw at him.
Getty(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
What It Might Cost the 49ers
Fitzpatrick is owed $15.6 million in 2026, the final year of his four-year, $73.6 million contract. Given his age, and Miami’s urgency to move on, a fourth-round pick or a combination involving one of San Francisco’s younger safeties alongside a late-round selection represents a realistic price.
The risk is real but so is the alternative. Entering 2026 with the same secondary questions that plagued them in 2025 is not a viable path for a franchise built to compete now. Fitzpatrick does not need to be the player he was in Pittsburgh to make San Francisco better. He needs to be a steadying veteran presence in a secondary that has lacked one.
That is a bar he can clear.
GettyMinkah Fitzpatrick #29 of the Miami Dolphins
Final Word for the 49ers
San Francisco’s secondary needs an upgrade. The numbers from 2025 made that clear. The Dolphins’ roster overhaul has created a window to address it without sacrificing significant draft capital.
Fitzpatrick might not be a long-term solution. But he could be a bridge that stabilises a unit while the younger pieces around him develop. That might be what this 49ers defense needs heading into a season where the margin for error in the NFC West has never been smaller.
The fit is there. The cost should be reasonable. The question is whether San Francisco moves quickly enough to take advantage of it.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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