At 30 years old and on his fourth team since 2019, Jalen Ramsey has certainly been around the NFL block. Apart from his variety of individual accolades, he even won a Super Bowl in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams. But that does not mean he is satisfied.
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After two years with Mike McDaniel’s failed experiment in Miami, Ramsey decided he wanted to get back to playing competitive football late into the year. He didn’t demand a trade or anything, but he, his agent, and the Miami front office were on the same page about where the veteran was in his career arc, and where the Dolphins were on their trajectory to Super Bowl contention.
In the end, Ramsey was traded away from Miami, so he didn’t have final say. But based on how he talks about it, he and the team were operating amicably to get his exit figured out in a way that would benefit both sides.
“I do appreciate the Dolphins and them working with me and [agent] David [Mulugheta]. Not just, ‘Hey this team called, and we’re gonna send you here.’ It wasn’t any of that. It was very open communication. Y’all been good to us, I’ve been good to ya’ll. Let’s do it the right way.”
And the team was certainly happy with the return, as they netted All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in the deal. Ramsey then broke down the main reasons why he gave the Dolphins his blessing to negotiate with the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of which was their well-respected head coach, Mike Tomlin.
“Let’s go to a team that’s gonna be able to compete. Let’s go to a team where there’s a lot of respect for the head coach in there, and, you know, the staff. A place where I can continue developing, playing at a high level. Maybe being versatile. And I had to let David do his thing too, the money was involved. …. Obviously the Steelers really wanted me here, and at the end of the day I wanted to be here as well.”
About six weeks ago, Ramsey was traded to the Steelers (along with a 2027 seventh-round pick and one of the premier receiving tight ends in the NFL in Jonnu Smith) for Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-rounder.
It’s clear that Jalen Ramsey has already been having serious conversations about what his role will be in Pittsburgh’s transforming secondary. Hence, the “maybe being versatile” line. Fitzpatrick was the cornerstone of this unit for a while, but now there are several guys who could take on that role.
Third-year man Joey Porter Jr. is turning into a stud at corner, so he will be CB1, following around the opposing team’s best WR. DeShon Elliott was one of the best defensive free agent additions Pittsburgh made in recent years, and he plays the box safety (or strong safety) role perfectly. Veterans Darius Slay and Ramsey will then duke it out for the other outside starting corner role.
We think Slay would be the better choice there. But we only say that because Ramsey could be an excellent candidate to make the Charles Woodson transition from cornerback to safety. In base packages, Ramsey could play the free safety role Fitzpatrick once did. Then he could move into the slot corner spot when they add an extra DB in nickel packages. Juan Thornhill would step in at safety.
If Slay and Ramsey can recapture their greatness of seasons past, the Steelers’ secondary (and the cornerback position specifically) could turn into one of their strengths for the first time since Rod Woodson wore the Black and Gold in the mid-1990s.
