The Vikings' Dream Trade Addition - KansasCityProFootball

Brian Flores observes Minnesota Vikings players during a minicamp practice at the team’s training facility. — Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores watches players run drills during the team’s organized team activities at the Vikings Training Facility on June 10, 2025, in Minneapolis. Flores has guided a sharp defensive resurgence in Minnesota, drawing league-wide attention while collaborating closely with a veteran-led roster during a crucial offseason stretch for the franchise. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn–Imagn Images.

The Vikings’ dream trade addition may arrive for that Brian Flores defense. To be sure, there’s plenty of merit in making a move at running back and/or left guard, but Flores’s crew — alongside some hearty help from Matt Daniels and the special teams — is leading these 4-0 Vikings.

Maybe looking for some help at safety is the way to go.

In particular, there’s some merit in exploring the possibility of adding Minkah Fitzpatrick. The veteran safety is playing for a 1-3 New York Jets team that’s trying to compete in 2026. At what point does the leadership in New York acknowledge the obvious that the current plan isn’t working? If they do, does moving on from the terrific safety become a possibility?

NYJ Minkah Fitzpatrick
The Vikings’ Dream Trade Addition

Start off with the problem: the Vikings’ safety talent hasn’t yet been good enough.

All of Josh Metellus, Harrison Smith, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, and Jacob Thomas have the capacity to be solid ball players. As of yet, rookie Jakobe Thomas hasn’t proven capable of making a difference since he hasn’t been taken off the bench for a game. Maybe this cluster of talent improves as the season proceeds but this could be a group that sees the ceiling at “solid” or “pretty good” rather than truly fearsome.

NFL: AFC Wild Card Round-Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens — Jan 11, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) runs against Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (39) in the second quarter in an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images – Credit: USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

So, consider the merit of Minkah Fitzpatrick.

The 29-year-old defender has been a three-time first-team All Pro and has been sent to the Pro Bowl five times. On PFF, he’s being listed as the 9th-best safety so far in 2026. Fitzpatrick has been out there for a pair of games during the current season, climbing up to 16 tackles alongside 1 interception.

Jets HC Aaron Glenn has mostly put Fitzpatrick at free safety and into the box, a usage that could reflect how he could get used in Minnesota.

What’s most needed in the Twin Cities is a center fielder to shutdown the skies. Note that Fitzpatrick’s career has seen 4,555 snaps arrive as a free safety, easily the highest total at any single spot (next up is being in the slot for 1,357 snaps).

And then there’s the overlap with Coach Flores and Gerald Alexander, who is the defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach. Each were on the Steelers’ coaching staff back in 2022. At that time, Fitzpatrick was helping Pittsburgh. In fact, that was an AP1 Fitzpatrick season where the defender boasted 6 interceptions.

A potential issue is that Flores sees his connection go back much further than Pittsburgh in 2022 since the defender and coach worked together in Miami (with some rumblings of discontent). Simply keep in mind that there were rumblings of Kyle Van Noy turbulence from those Dolphins days but the current arrangement is still working well. Does time heal these wounds?

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores on the sideline during an NFC wild card game against the Rams at State Farm Stadium. — Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the NFC wild card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 13, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The postseason appearance highlighted Flores’ aggressive defensive approach in a high-stakes environment as Minnesota faced playoff elimination on the road. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images..

New York is quite unlikely to move on. That’s why this one exists in the “dream” category. If, however, the Jets were willing to explore a trade, then the Vikings should be checking in.

Minkah Fitzpatrick is operating on a three-year agreement for a total of $40 million, per Over the Cap. Bargain. Some of that cap charge would stay behind in New York, but most would get carried over to the acquiring team. The good news is that a buying team would be buying for more than just 2026 since the veteran defender is under contract for ’27 and ’28.

The NFL trade deadline arrives on Tuesday, November 10th. If you’re dreaming of a Vikings trade — involving Minkah Fitzpatrick or anybody else — then you should be looking for bad teams to keep losing while Minnesota keeps winning.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.