The rumor mill started buzzing back in May that the Dolphins might trade Jalen Ramsey. As ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe explained, “This isn’t about a guy who wants more money or a guy who can’t play anymore. This is just a situation where relationships are hard, and the relationship between the Dolphins and Ramsey has essentially run out.” However, it was never confirmed.
Speaking of the time, it couldn’t have been more perfect for the team. As per Over The Cap, the Dolphins’ 2025 dead cap hit for trading Ramsey dropped from $25.2 million to $6.7 million. Still, looking back, there was a big reason why the player initially moved to Miami.
Last season, when the Dolphins secured head coach Mike McDaniel for the long term, they also signed Ramsey to a three-year deal worth nearly $72.3 million, with about $24 million guaranteed. Looking back, Ramsey now admits he joined the Dolphins for reasons that he doesn’t feel were the right ones.
On The Pivot podcast, he opened up about his feelings when he was about to be traded away by the Los Angeles Rams. Breaking down his emotions from 2023, Ramsey recalled that part of the move was for his family. “When I got traded from LA, I was literally praying to go to Miami, and it was probably not for all the right reasons. Obviously, football has always and will always be very important for me, but I also had other things in the back of my mind, too,” Ramsey said.
He further added, “Like, I want I want to live in a good city. I want my kids to enjoy life and, you know, be in the sun and have pools year round. I want my family to come to visit me,” Ramsey said. Fast forward to June 2025, and he wanted out of the Miami deal. He had even skipped the Dolphins’ mandatory minicamps, which became part of the discussion. In exchange for Ramsey, tight end Jonnu Smith, and a 2027 seventh-round pick, the Dolphins received safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
Jalen Ramsey on his trade from the Los Angeles Rams to the Miami Dolphins: “When I got traded from LA, I was literally praying to go Miami, and it was probably not for all the right reasons… I [wanted] my kids to enjoy life and be in the sun.” (@thepivot) #PhinsUp pic.twitter.com/PnblocQNez
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) August 12, 2025
This is Fitzpatrick’s second stint with the Dolphins after nearly a five-year run with the Steelers. Many reports claimed the trade happened because of Ramsey’s broken relationship with the Dolphins. How much of that is true? During the podcast, Ramsey didn’t hesitate to share the real reason behind his desire to join a different team this year. And in doing so, he appeared to throw shade at his former team. “
Now that the chapter in Miami has closed. Ramsey is wasting no time embracing his fresh start with the Steelers, and he’s already making it clear why he feels the Steelers are the right fit.
Jalen Ramsey praised the Steelers’ clear and tough approach
After securing Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers have continued to make several changes on both offense and defense. One such move was bringing Ramsey to the team. After an underwhelming 2024 campaign, the Steelers are looking to turn the page this year with key pieces like Ramsey. And the excitement was palpable among the other Steelers players as well.
The sentiment is mutual. After the first training camp, Ramsey is equally impressed with how things are. “This is the most fun training camp I’ve ever been a part of. It’s like, the most that I’ve enjoyed football, the most that I’ve enjoyed my teammates, my coaches, and everything. Because I feel like everything went back to the basics. It’s about the ball, about the right stuff. It’s about the relationships,” Ramsey seemingly pressed on the relationship that he might have missed back in Miami.
During the same podcast, the 7× Pro Bowler expressed his respect for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. “All the essence of what football is about, he emphasizes it. Toughness, being well-conditioned… it ain’t no gray area. It’s black and white. This is what we’re about around here,” Ramsey said, emphasizing the Steelers’ focus on the training.
After spending the past two seasons with the Dolphins, Ramsey is gearing up for his 11th year in the league. Before Miami, he had a three-and-a-half-year stint with the Rams in L.A., including being part of the squad that won the Super Bowl in 2021. While he explained that he shared a great bond with Sean McVay, however, Tomlin is entirely different. We will understand the difference when the matchup kicks off. After 31-25 win over the Jaguars, the team will be facing the Buccaneers next in week 2 of the preseason.
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