Minkah Fitzpatrick gave the New York Jets the interception they had spent all season waiting for, jumping a route to pick off Tyson Bagent during Sunday’s October 4 game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
The takeaway came with 11:52 left in the second quarter. Jason Sanders later made a 36-yard field goal that reduced Chicago’s lead to 7–3.
A timely return to the secondary
Fitzpatrick was back in action after a groin injury interrupted his Jets debut against Tennessee. He was hurt six plays into the season opener and missed the following two games, leaving Dane Belton and Andre Cisco paired at safety in his absence.
His practice workload increased during Bears week. After limited participation Wednesday, he practiced fully Thursday and Friday and carried no game-status designation on the final injury report. His interception gave that return an immediate, tangible payoff.
Chicago, meanwhile, was playing without Caleb Williams, who had been ruled out with a hamstring injury. Bagent was the quarterback Fitzpatrick beat to the ball.
The playmaking New York sought
The Jets finished the entire 2025 season without an interception. Creating more opportunities to take the ball away became an offseason priority, and Fitzpatrick was a central addition to the defensive backfield.
New York acquired him from Miami in March for a seventh-round draft choice. He arrived as a three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl selection with 21 regular-season interceptions across his first eight NFL seasons. Four of those interceptions had been returned for touchdowns.
Sunday’s pick supplied an example of the anticipation the Jets wanted from their veteran safety. The value was straightforward: Fitzpatrick ended a Chicago possession and gave New York another chance with the ball. For a secondary rebuilt partly around producing takeaways, his return brought the kind of individual play the offseason changes were meant to encourage.
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