NFL Week 2: Miami Dolphins DB Minkah Fitzpatrick slated for sizable role despite trade request

The Miami Dolphins flopped in historic fashion in Week 1, losing to the Baltimore Ravens by a 59-10 margin. Following that landmark defeat, there was plenty of buzz about internal strife within Miami's locker room and, at the top of the heap, standout defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick was granted permission to seek a trade. That unusual circumstance led to some level of uncertainty with regard to Fitzpatrick's availability for Week 2 against the New England Patriots but, on Friday, it became clear that Fitzpatrick would be suiting up, even as he peruses the landscape for a new opportunity. 

"I don't think it's unusual," Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said Friday when discussing Fitzpatrick's status. "I think Minkah's a good player. We've talked about his role all week. I think he's going to be a big part of the game plan. I think he's going to go out there and play well, to be honest with you."

The Dolphins enter Sunday's contest as 18.5-point home underdogs, leaving little room for optimism when it comes to this week's task as a team. Still, Flores cited previous experience when dealing with the Fitzpatrick situation and everyone appears to be on the same page, at least with regard to how things will be handled within the confines of the season. 

"I've coached for a while," Flores continued. "I've gone through this a little bit before. The guy who comes to mind is Patrick Chung. He was in New England with me. He left and went to Philly. He didn't like the way things were going there in New England, went to Philly, left and came back. And that whole thing turned around. So this is not my first go-around with a situation like this. That turned out well for Patrick."

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