The Pittsburgh Steelers are acquiring Miami Dolphins defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick in exchange for a 2020 first-round pick, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The former first-round pick received permission to seek a trade from the woeful Dolphins (0-2) earlier in the week because he was unhappy with playing multiple positions, sources told ESPN.
He declined to talk about a potential trade when asked about it prior to Miami’s 43-0 Week 2 loss to the New England Patriots.
“I can’t focus on this trade, and this and that,” Fitzpatrick told reporters Friday. “I’m focused on Sunday. I’ve got to focus on the New England Patriots.”
Fitzpatrick, 22, immediately bolsters a defensive back group that includes Joe Haden, Steven Nelson and Terrell Edmunds.
The No. 11 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft allowed a completion percentage of 49 percent when nearest defender in coverage during his rookie season, according to NextGen Stats. He was ranked sixth-best among defensive backs with 400 coverage snaps.
The Alabama product brings a valuable contract with him, entering the second year of his rookie deal. He carries a salary of $1.8 million this year, followed by salaries of $1.9 million and $2.7 million, plus a fifth year option in 2022.
Fitzpatrick will face his former team when the Dolphins travel to Pittsburgh in Week 8 for Monday Night Football.
The Steelers’ 2020 pick has a 29 percent chance to be top-5 and a 62-percent chance to be top-10, according to FPI.
The two teams are also swapping late round picks in the deal, sources told ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe.
The Dolphins continued to stockpile picks with the trade, including three first-round picks and two second-round in 2020. They also have two first-rounders and two second-rounders in 2021.
The trade caps a significant day in the Steelers franchise as coach Mike Tomlin announced quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was having surgery on a season-ending elbow injury.