Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick stretches during practice at the NFL football team's training camp, Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — It has been about a month since Minkah Fitzpatrick was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Dolphins team that drafted him, and the All-Pro safety hopes to remain in Miami long term.

Fitzpatrick spoke to reporters Monday for the first time since he returned to Miami, which drafted him in 2018 and traded him away at his request in 2019. He said his lack of public comment was not an expression of frustration with returning to the Dolphins.

“My silence was not a reflection of how I felt about this team or this organization,” Fitzpatrick said, adding that he would not take any questions about “Pittsburgh or previous coaches or anything like that.”

Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins agreed to a restructured contract on Sunday that moved $2 million from his 2026 salary to this upcoming season and converted some of his salary into a $16.2 million signing bonus. It gave him a raise to $17.5 million this season as his agent and the Dolphins continue to work toward a long-term deal.

“I know it was reported that I wanted a new contract,” Fitzpatrick said, “but I just wanted to know that I was going to be here for more than a season and I got that. And now, I’m going to go out there, play All-Pro, Pro Bowl level and hopefully earn the respect of my teammates and the organization to have that long-term contract.”

The Dolphins selected Fitzpatrick 11th overall in 2018, but the safety became displeased with his role under then-coach Brian Flores, requested a trade and was dealt to the Steelers a year after being drafted.

Fitzpatrick quickly became one of the NFL’s top safeties in Pittsburgh, making five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams during his time there.

His new Dolphins teammates have praised his leadership in the short time he’s been in Miami. He came up with the first interception of training camp on Saturday with an athletic pick of quarterback Zach Wilson.

“Minkah is very quiet, but when he does talk, everybody listens,” receiver Jaylen Waddle said. “He’s got one of (those) personalities when he gets on the field — just got that dog, brings that energy. He’s been here a couple days but it’s just like the defense gravitates towards him. He made a crazy play today, so everybody got hyped. It’s great.”

Hilton added

The Dolphins added more experience to their secondary Monday when they signed former Bengals and Steelers cornerback Mike Hilton.

Hilton has made 56 starts in eight seasons with Pittsburgh (2017-20) and Cincinnati (2021-24), making 520 tackles (386 solo), 11¢ sacks and 13 interceptions, one returned for a touchdown.

The 31-year-old had 73 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and an interception as one of the leaders of the Bengals’ defense last season.

Fields does drills

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields returned to team drills Monday, four days after dislocating a toe on his right foot.

Fields participated in 7-on-7 drills at training camp Saturday as the team eased him back into practice. Coach Aaron Glenn had said Fields had “a ways to go” before fully returning. But after a day off Sunday, Fields ran the offense during 11-on-11 drills — and on the first day this summer the Jets wore pads.

“He was limited, but he was limited the way that we want him to be limited,” Glenn said after practice. “He made some good throws out there. And again, when Justin gets on the field, I mean, we’re going to let him be who he is.”

Glenn wouldn’t specify what he meant when he said Fields was “limited” and was asked if perhaps the team doesn’t want him to run as much as he normally would.

“Just limit him the way we want him to be limited,” Glenn said. “I’ll just keep it at that.”

Fields sent Jets fans and social media into a frenzy last Thursday when he dislocated a toe on his right foot early in practice. He was carted from the field to the facility, where he had multiple tests before the team announced the diagnosis — relieving fears that it could be an even more significant injury.

After sitting out completely on Friday, Fields threw passes in 7-on-7 drills Saturday and showed no signs of his injured foot ailing him. His first pass in team drills Monday was batted down at the line of scrimmage by Byron Cowart, but Fields had an otherwise solid practice session.

Elsewhere:

– Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton reached agreement on a four-year, $92 million extension, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Monday.

– The Tennessee Titans waived injured receiver Treylon Burks on Monday, two days after the former first-round draft pick injured his right shoulder while making a diving catch in practice.

– Dallas Cowboys guard Rob Jones broke a bone in his neck during the first padded practice of training camp and is expected to miss two to three months, the four-year veteran told the team’s website Monday.

– The New York Giants placed wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton on injured reserve Monday, a day after he tore an Achilles tendon during practice at training camp. Veteran wide receiver Gunner Olzsewski, a special teams standout, was signed to take Ford-Wheaton’s spot on the roster.

– Buccaneers rookie linebacker David Walker tore an ACL and likely will miss the rest of the season. Walker, a fourth-round draft pick out of Central Arkansas, sustained the knee injury in Friday’s practice.