For most NFL players, home is where they hang their helmets. But for S Minkah Fitzpatrick, who the Jets acquired in an intra-division trade with Miami earlier this week, New Jersey is home and the Jets training facility is more than simply a whistle stop in his 8-year NFL career.
"It's really cool," the native of Old Bridge said during his first chat with local reporters on Thursday. "I still have a lot of friends and family back here. I've been to the Jets facility multiple times when I was younger, when I competed in the NFCT, the Nike High School camps and whatnot. So it's a lot of flashbacks being back in this building [the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park]. It's really cool to play in the stadium that I played my high school state championship in, so it's a full circle moment for sure."
That state championship game, between Fitzpatrick's St. Peter's Prep Marauders and Paramus Catholic, a 34-18 victory, was the culmination of a stellar season that took Fitzpatrick to college at Alabama. In 2018, the Dolphins made him the No. 11 overall selection in the NFL Draft. Over his professional career (with the Dolphins and the Steelers), Fitzpatrick has been among the elite safeties in the league, earning Associated Press First-Team honors three times (2019, '21 and '22) and trips to 5 Pro Bowls.
Whether he teams at safety with another Alabama alumn, second-year man Malachi Moore, or steps in as the Jets' nickel back (a position he said he played a lot last season with Miami), Fitzpatrick said he's excited to play an outsized role in HC Aaron Glenn's revamped defense.
"I'm really excited to play for coach," Fitzpatrick, 29, said. "He's a guy who played high-level football in his life and in his career. He's a guy who I think views the game in a very similar manner to a lot of guys that play my position. So, of course, there's that DB bias and whatnot, but like I said, I'm extremely excited to play for him and also excited to play with all the guys that they signed recently and the younger guys that we have on the team already. I think we have all the necessary parts to be a really, really great defense under the guidance of AG, [DC Brian] Duker [who was in Miami last season], and those guys. So there's a lot to look forward to."
Fitzpatrick has been one of the leading ballhawks during his time in the league -- his 6 INTs in 2022 led the league and over his career (2018-25), he's tied for fifth in the league in total takeaways (28) and tied for the second-most defensive return TDs (5).
"I think when you look at turnovers, especially interceptions a large majority are mistakes by a quarterback," he said. "A large majority are getting pressure on the quarterback and he's making a bad decision or he throws it a little bit short, a little bit high and the DBs in the right position makes a play, so I think the reason why you see the signings that we're making this offseason is to kind of generate that pressure, that angst in the quarterback. Speaking to Glenn already, Fitzpatrick wants to give quarterbacks different looks so that it creates that angst when they're making their first and second read. By that time you'd like for the guys on the front seven to be collapsed in that pocket and force those bad decisions or force sacks and force turnovers. So, I think that's kind of like I said why they are addressing free agency in the way that they are."
Check out the best photos of Minkah Fitzpatrick. The All-Pro safety was trade to the Jets and signed an extension in March.
Over his 3 seasons with Miami, playing the Jets twice each season, and then staying in the AFC with Pittsburgh for 6 years, Fitzpatrick is well aware of Glenn's intention to change the culture ... and the results.
"I think they were a team that, I think they were looking for an identity and they were trying to find guys who can create that identity, create that culture," he said. "You know, they're a team that has a really strong fan base and a fan base that wants them to win and I think the guys in the front office upstairs and guys like AG and Duker are going to help them create that culture and I think we're bringing in guys that come from winning cultures, winning backgrounds, who played a lot of high-level football and we're going to hopefully give them what they want."
